Aston Villa v Southampton Post Match Thread

[kipeye]

Go and get Big Sam, now. It's the only chance of making us hard to beat and with it a hope of staying up.

Don't ever say this again.

[CJ]

Well that was shocking.Pub manager managing a pub team plus Grealish - and not playing him in the position where he can inflict most damage. Sad to say but I think Deano is massively out of his depth. Losing McGinn early was a blow - but to bring on another defensive midfielder in a game we simply had to win was negative and just wrong. Hourihane was totally anonymous in the first half and should have been replaced by Kodjia at half time, not when we'd just gone 3-0 down, and persisting with Wesley has been aired well elsewhere. And the most worrying thing about today's game was that - not for the first time this season - the opposition wanted it more than we did.

Because Deano stubbornly sticks to the same system teams know exactly how we are going to set up and how to negate us. He has no plan B, makes either the wrong substitutions or makes them too late, and persists with players who simply aren't delivering on the pitch.  I gave him leeway during the run of 'hard' fixtures but that meant we had to win the games which would keep us up - like Southampton at home. He's failing, and if he doesn't change things sharpish he's going to take us back down. Unless Edens and Sawiris decide sooner rather than later that being a Villa fan doesn't get much mileage if the results aren't right.

[nick harper]

We keep looking at the problems we have up front but Smith has always had issues making his teams hard to beat. When you’re in a rut, that’s the first thing you need to do.

It will cost him his job as I just don’t see this team keeping a clean sheet.

[CT]

Well that was shocking.Pub manager managing a pub team plus Grealish - and not playing him in the position where he can inflict most damage. Sad to say but I think Deano is massively out of his depth. Losing McGinn early was a blow - but to bring on another defensive midfielder in a game we simply had to win was negative and just wrong. Hourihane was totally anonymous in the first half and should have been replaced by Kodjia at half time, not when we'd just gone 3-0 down, and persisting with Wesley has been aired well elsewhere. And the most worrying thing about today's game was that - not for the first time this season - the opposition wanted it more than we did.

Because Deano stubbornly sticks to the same system teams know exactly how we are going to set up and how to negate us. He has no plan B, makes either the wrong substitutions or makes them too late, and persists with players who simply aren't delivering on the pitch.  I gave him leeway during the run of 'hard' fixtures but that meant we had to win the games which would keep us up - like Southampton at home. He's failing, and if he doesn't change things sharpish he's going to take us back down. Unless Edens and Sawiris decide sooner rather than later that being a Villa fan doesn't get much mileage if the results aren't right.

That's what I just didn't understand. He said he blames himself for being negative against Sheffield Utd, then brings on Marv when SJM gets crocked.

I thought he'd bring on Trez and let Jack play down the middle.

Saying that, AEG and Trez are so mind bogglingly crap at the moment, I can maybe understand the logic!!

[john e]

We keep looking at the problems we have up front but Smith has always had issues making his teams hard to beat. When you’re in a rut, that’s the first thing you need to do.

It will cost him his job as I just don’t see this team keeping a clean sheet.

Wesley, Trez, El Ghazi, Kodjia, Jota will cost him his job imo although I don’t think we are near to that point yet

[langleylions]

im sorry but dean smith is not good enough , i remembr walsal !! fans saying the same ..that says everything . and b4 the im a better fan than you brigade get on me there is absolutely no way wesley should have started today instead of kodja , simple as . also i would start the midfield that served us well last year in our run ...hourihane deep with mcginn and grealish ..luiz is shit and nakamba aint no better ....

[john2710]

The lesson from 2015 of filling your team with inexperienced but talented players & a centre forward who can't do the job he was bought for hasn't been learned. We lack leadership, organisation & experience. We need to act quickly but I fear we may be adrift by then.

[Jon Crofts]

First 45 minutes was the worst I’ve seen in a long time. A few boos from around me and the usual arguments flared up between non booers and booers.

Nobody came out of today well especially our coaching staff who made themselves look like absolute fools bringing on Kodjia with 15 to go. Clueless.

[nick harper]

We keep looking at the problems we have up front but Smith has always had issues making his teams hard to beat. When you’re in a rut, that’s the first thing you need to do.

It will cost him his job as I just don’t see this team keeping a clean sheet.

Wesley, Trez, El Ghazi, Kodjia, Jota will cost him his job imo although I don’t think we are near to that point yet

John, I accept they are all very inconsistent but goals are not a problem. We are better than average on goals scored. But any team that concedes two goals a game is not going to stay up.

We are badly organised and have a soft centre.

[Legion]

Well that started badly, got progressively worse and the less said about the end, the better. At least some kind soul handed my glasses in at the club shop so I was able to get them back after the game. Watched the proceedings in a blurred haze which probably helped.

[Damo70]

Go and get Big Sam, now. It's the only chance of making us hard to beat and with it a hope of staying up.

No fuming way

If it comes to a change, and I hope it dosnt(yet) I hope the club has more ambition then “Big Sam”

Big Sam....I'd rather have Frankie goes to Hollywood in charge.

Relax! 


As for big Sam I would back him to keep us up but it wouldn't be good to watch and would be a short term fix.

[AVH87]

Go and get Big Sam, now. It's the only chance of making us hard to beat and with it a hope of staying up.

No fuming way

If it comes to a change, and I hope it dosnt(yet) I hope the club has more ambition then “Big Sam”

Big Sam....I'd rather have Frankie goes to Hollywood in charge.

Relax! 


As for big Sam I would back him to keep us up but it wouldn't be good to watch and would be a short term fix.

I'd take a short-term fix rather than a painful relegation followed by another 3 years in the Championship.

He's met with snobbery, but went into his last job at Everton when they were bang in trouble, kept them up easily and followed it up with an 8th placed finish. He's unfashionable, it isn't great to watch, but he gets the job done.

[tomd2103]

Well that was a good way to start the festive period!!  Looked flat from the off, wrong choice made when McGinn went off in the first few minutes, looked toothless in attack, wide open in midfield, vulnerable at the back and then didn’t act at half time when it was desperately needed. 

We are getting worse game by game and the worrying thing is that we don’t seem to have anyone capable of arresting the slide. 

[PeterWithe]

Lacking in all of the attributes needed to win a football match, beaten in most tackles slow on the ball and we looked in poor condition.

They were much better than I expected but we were so lacking in confidence and zip, we ambled around aimlessly, they looked quick and motivated.  Again, they copied Leicester and had their full backs pin us into our own third with only out ball to Wesley, who tried hard but looks lacking in basic technique and intelligence.

Jack put the effort in, even if it didn’t seem to go for him until the last few minutes.

Pretty poor all round

[Legion]

We're almost there. Just need to sort out the defence, midfield and attack.