collapse collapse

Please donate to help towards the costs of keeping this site going. Thank You.

Recent Topics

Recent Posts

Re: Other Games - 2023/24 by Sexual Ealing
[Today at 11:25:52 AM]


Re: FFP by FatSam
[Today at 11:23:15 AM]


Re: Aston Villa v Wolverhampton Wanderers Pre Match by LeeB
[Today at 11:20:10 AM]


Re: FFP by Duncan Shaw
[Today at 11:19:49 AM]


Re: UEFA Europa Conference League-Knockout stages (Lille) by curiousorange
[Today at 11:19:49 AM]


Re: Other Games - 2023/24 by Nev
[Today at 11:13:40 AM]


Re: Aston Villa v Wolverhampton Wanderers Pre Match by Nev
[Today at 11:12:18 AM]


Re: FFP by Nev
[Today at 11:04:06 AM]

Follow us on...

Author Topic: Sheffield United v Aston Villa Post Match Thread  (Read 20858 times)

Offline RamboandBruno

  • Member
  • Posts: 3031
  • Location: Birmingham about 4 miles from Villa Park
Re: Sheffield United v Aston Villa Post Match Thread
« Reply #120 on: December 14, 2019, 06:35:52 PM »
I still trust DS, he's having his worst run. If we are winless after the Christmas period then he has to be judged just like anyone else. My real concern is if the season continues in its current form, that's the last we'll see of Jack in Claret and blue.

I generally agree with this and I think the string of comments calling for smiths head or saying it’s coming are just not judging the situation at our club with what’s happened in our own recent history or at other clubs. The car crash from 2010 up until last season wasn’t helped in any way by chopping and changing managers. And apart from the odd exception, teams near the bottom who stick with their managers have done better. Burnley went down and stuck with Dyche and have relatively thrived in the context of their size and history. Leicester stuck with Pearson when they looked certs for relegation, survived and thrived only changing managers for disciplinary reasons.

On the other hand, Fulham 3 managers in one season car crash, the Watford experiment of not being reliant on a manager and managers being expendable is failing, Huddersfield changing managers part way through the season, failed. There are always exceptions, Everton sacking Keoman and bringing in Allardyce, but saving them short term has done nothing for them long term.

Thought the owners are trying to build something at villa which will take stability. True if we go down it’ll be a nightmare, but we could stay up and lose grealish.

Some of the summer business has been really good imo, Engels, Heaton, Guilbert in particular. Wesley is obviously a massive issue, but does anyone really believe smith would of said to Suso and owners, that we only needed one forward, I can’t imagine any manager doing that. The cheque book was obviously closed on him. I believe that must of been out of his hands.

I believe we can beat Southampton and Norwich and things will feel different. But it does need a shake up. Unless he plays and scores against Liverpool midweek I would bench Wes for Southampton and despite reservations give Kodjia a go. Jack also has to be more central, I would play el ghaz in the role nearer the forward. Luiz is a player for summer for me, bags of ability but doesn’t look up for the scrap. I know he disappears against the better teams, but I would have Connor in for most games and try and have some consistency with the midfield. Whatever’s bothering McGinn, needs to be sorted out ASAP.

Offline Mister E

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 16580
  • Location: Mostly the Republic of Yorkshire (N)
  • GM : 16.02.2025
Re: Sheffield United v Aston Villa Post Match Thread
« Reply #121 on: December 14, 2019, 06:42:20 PM »
My take on the game, having just got back, is:
•   We could have drawn, if Grealish had scored the penalty and buried the almost-unmissable header in the second half during one of our few periods of good build-up play.
•   Playing Grealish on the left wing is a waste of talent.
•   Not being able to work out that SheffU’s ‘out-ball’ was the sweeping pass to the right wingback – every fuckin’ time – is just ignorant on Smith’s part.
•   Not trying to nullify Norwood – who pulled the strings for them in midfield – seems idiotic.
•   Bringing on three subs but not changing the game-plan (they were just 3 straight replacements) seems wasteful and non-productive.
•   Playing 4-3-3 isn’t working: our fullbacks are better wingbacks and I’d applaud a go at 3-5-2, with a narrower midfield and the wingbacks exploiting the wide space.
I actually thought Hause, Lansbury and McGinn played well in the first half. The problem in our overall play is the same as I see each time I go: poor fitness / intensity, poor ball retention and a lack of support for the hardworking but ineffective Wesley when we do get the ball up there.
If we want to survive I really think Smith has to change his one-plan strategy.
« Last Edit: December 14, 2019, 06:46:36 PM by Mister E »

Offline Rudy Can't Fail

  • Member
  • Posts: 38934
  • Location: In the Shade
    • http://www.heroespredictions.co.uk/pl/
Re: Sheffield United v Aston Villa Post Match Thread
« Reply #122 on: December 14, 2019, 06:50:52 PM »
Conor would have been up for the scrap today. Bringing in Lansbury to play a deep role was another passenger we had to carry and right now our team has far too many. Again, I want to see Taylor away from home and Targett at Villa Park. Though not completely all his fault, our left side defence today was our biggest weakness with both goals coming from that side.

Overall, we look like a random group of players rather than a team. There doesn't appear to be any plan. That needs to change and quick.

Offline Villafirst

  • Member
  • Posts: 6993
Re: Sheffield United v Aston Villa Post Match Thread
« Reply #123 on: December 14, 2019, 06:53:29 PM »
Same mistakes week in week out. There's no plan B. Our ball retention is shocking. Surprised the owners handed Smith a 4 year contract. Still unproven at this level. Is that six defeats in 8 games now?

Online Monty

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 25410
  • Location: pizzaland
  • GM : 25.05.2024
Re: Sheffield United v Aston Villa Post Match Thread
« Reply #124 on: December 14, 2019, 06:53:57 PM »
Though obviously I've wanted the Villa to win every match they've ever played, I don't think I've wanted a manager to personally succeed this much since Brian Little. However, we can't be sentimental. Deano is a great guy, and a very good manager, but this step up is obviously proving steep for him. I think he'll make it to this level, but I don't know how soon - which, for us, is obviously an issue.

Offline pauliewalnuts

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 71067
  • GM : 26.08.2024
Re: Sheffield United v Aston Villa Post Match Thread
« Reply #125 on: December 14, 2019, 07:01:20 PM »
•   Not being able to work out that SheffU’s ‘out-ball’ was the sweeping pass to the right wingback – every fuckin’ time – is just ignorant on Smith’s part.

This is a great example of what worries me the most.

He never reacts tactically to the opposition, and we never go out set up to play the opposition, we go out to play the way we play. That was exactly MON's limitation, too.

Compare that with Leicester last week who had clearly done their homework on us and played accordingly.

How many times this season have we found ourselves crying out for a change at half time, but not making it?

Offline Bobby Boy

  • Member
  • Posts: 1346
  • GM : 20.04.2022
Re: Sheffield United v Aston Villa Post Match Thread
« Reply #126 on: December 14, 2019, 07:02:44 PM »
Dean Smith's lack of tactical flexibility is astounding at this level. Listening to Brendan Rodger's last week talking about how Leicester tweaked their system to nullify what they saw as our strengths was instructive. There is nothing in Dean Smith that suggests that he thinks on his feet or responds creatively to what he is seeing in front of him.

Like for like replacements and the same regimented set up each week is looking more and more archaic as the weeks go by.

Surely he will have to change his approach?

However whatever he does decide to do we as fans have got to treat the Southampton game as if it was a one off cup game and support the boys wholeheartedly.

The atmosphere has dropped off markedly since the heady days of August and we need to help the boys as much as we can.

It's a big week ahead of us.

Online Monty

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 25410
  • Location: pizzaland
  • GM : 25.05.2024
Re: Sheffield United v Aston Villa Post Match Thread
« Reply #127 on: December 14, 2019, 07:09:48 PM »
I agree with all of this. Dean is a good manager as far as training his team to play well on their own terms, but has not yet developed the capacity to do so in the face of specific threats. Like I say, by no means too late for him - people used to say the same about Rodgers before he improved on it - but for us it does make the short term a bit difficult.

I can't remember who said it (it might genuinely have been Jean Paul Sartre, which for me would be insanely on-brand), but I often think these days off that phrase 'everything in football is complicated by the presence of the opposition'. It's proving very true of ourselves at the minute.

Offline Villafirst

  • Member
  • Posts: 6993
Re: Sheffield United v Aston Villa Post Match Thread
« Reply #128 on: December 14, 2019, 07:17:01 PM »
Even a shite Newcastle team turned over this lot 2-0 on their own patch. Norwich drew at bang in form Leicester plus Bournemouth beat Chelsea at the Bridge today. This doesn't augur well at all. Will the owners run out of patience soon??

Online eamonn

  • Member
  • Posts: 29735
  • Location: Down to Worthing...and work there
  • GM : 26.07.2020
Re: Sheffield United v Aston Villa Post Match Thread
« Reply #129 on: December 14, 2019, 07:20:05 PM »
Sartre, did he ever ponder upon Erdington for even one damn moment?

Offline Rudy65

  • Member
  • Posts: 4414
Re: Sheffield United v Aston Villa Post Match Thread
« Reply #130 on: December 14, 2019, 07:21:27 PM »
Conor would have been up for the scrap today. Bringing in Lansbury to play a deep role was another passenger we had to carry and right now our team has far too many. Again, I want to see Taylor away from home and Targett at Villa Park. Though not completely all his fault, our left side defence today was our biggest weakness with both goals coming from that side.

Overall, we look like a random group of players rather than a team. There doesn't appear to be any plan. That needs to change and quick.

Conor isnt mobile enough against the likes of Sheffield. He was awful against Chelsea

Offline PeterWithesShin

  • Member
  • Posts: 67443
  • GM : 17.03.2015
Re: Sheffield United v Aston Villa Post Match Thread
« Reply #131 on: December 14, 2019, 07:26:02 PM »



Online Monty

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 25410
  • Location: pizzaland
  • GM : 25.05.2024
Re: Sheffield United v Aston Villa Post Match Thread
« Reply #132 on: December 14, 2019, 07:26:32 PM »
Sartre, did he ever ponder upon Erdington for even one damn moment?

You can never count on these existential types. Except for Camus, who still wouldn't get in the team ahead of Heaton.

Offline Bobby Boy

  • Member
  • Posts: 1346
  • GM : 20.04.2022
Re: Sheffield United v Aston Villa Post Match Thread
« Reply #133 on: December 14, 2019, 07:29:06 PM »
Sartre, did he ever ponder upon Erdington for even one damn moment?

You can never count on these existential types. Except for Camus, who still wouldn't get in the team ahead of Heaton.

Sartre also said that hell is other people. I think that he had Robbie Savage in mind when he said that.

Offline Des Little

  • Member
  • Posts: 12426
  • Location: A5 Ultra
  • GM : 03.05.2021
Re: Sheffield United v Aston Villa Post Match Thread
« Reply #134 on: December 14, 2019, 07:33:57 PM »
What does he say at half time? We concede with five minutes of the restart every fucking week.

 


SimplePortal 2.3.6 © 2008-2014, SimplePortal