Aston Villa v Southampton Post Match Thread

[David_Nab]

Ever since the Man United match, when we turned in a very encouraging performance, things have turned pear shaped, so what are main reasons for the massive dip in form, as up to that match our season as a whole suggested we would avoid the drop. Trying to be positive, which is difficult, could it be a confidence thing, which we could put right on Thursday with a win.

We managed to score twice which evened out us managing to concede min 2 goals a game.Overall we played ok up there but still lost a lead , conceded from a cross and allowed them too many chances.

[ChicagoLion]

Ever since the Man United match, when we turned in a very encouraging performance, things have turned pear shaped, so what are main reasons for the massive dip in form, as up to that match our season as a whole suggested we would avoid the drop. Trying to be positive, which is difficult, could it be a confidence thing, which we could put right on Thursday with a win.

We managed to score twice which evened out us managing to concede min 2 goals a game.Overall we played ok up there but still lost a lead , conceded from a cross and allowed them too many chances.

one thing we did show in that game was fight but that has disappeared.

[Clampy]

Phone out.

Yep, I'm not convinced about his phone.

[pooligan]

I am not being wise after the event,any of my friends would tell you i said this at the start of the season.To go into a season with just Wesley,Kodjia and Davies was just stupid in my view ..Wesley was unknown and nobody could have predicted just how awful he is.Kodjia was unproved at a higher level and tends to be injury prone and Davies ,well what can you say about him.He does not score goals and is injury prone .When he is injured he stays injured for months .Without a  regular proven goalscorer we are always going to struggle

[ktvillan]

The thing that struck me watching the highlights yesterday was on the second goal whoever it was chasing Long (Engels?) had the exact gait and pace of old custard pants when trying to forlornly to chase Ozil for England Against Germany in 2010.  He looked like he was running through waist high water.  If your intention is to play a high line against pacy strikers, which appears to be the case, you need very quick defenders.  So why the fuck sign someone who runs at the speed of dark?

[Oscar Arce]

Look at Sheffield United: chasing down defenders, chasing lost causes, block after block, defenders doing proper defending throwing themselves in front of the ball. players challenging hard for headers, marking their men, and taking their chances, that is why they will stay up comfortably.
Look at Aston Villa: players constantly falling to the floor at the slightest challenge and holding their faces, whingening at the referee, defenders who seem to have no communication with each other, no marking from set pieces, a midfield you can drive a truck through, a centre forward who misses vital chances and cannot hold up the ball, wide players who do not get crosses into the box, overplaying in the wrong areas, a reliance on one player, not a team, serious injuiries to our most aggressive players.
After yesterday I saw Engels disintegrate from a player I thought showed promise into a jibbering wreck of a defender, Hause likewise, Guilkbert had one of the poorest performances I've ever seen, ditto El Ghazzi, Jack tried but he can't do it all, the only player who really looked like he was up for a fight was Luiz.
Smith stood and watched, where is the young tactical manager that was at Brentford? He seems to have assembled a squad of players with no backbone, who cannot comprehend that you can't play unless you win the ball, and if you change it we haven't the type of players re. Sheffield United.
This manager assembled this squad, which we all know is weak, and unless something changes we are going down, with a whimper.
Shane Long FFS terrorised our defence!
I think players like Hutton and even Chester woukld have given him a whack or two, but he and Ings had the freedom of our defence, we conceded on average 25 shots per game...how the frig are we going to win a game like that!!!!
For FFS Smith tighten up our team somehow (ie three at the back, play for some clean sheets to build confidence) or we are doomed to relegation.
Rant over

[SoccerHQ]

Ever since the Man United match, when we turned in a very encouraging performance, things have turned pear shaped, so what are main reasons for the massive dip in form, as up to that match our season as a whole suggested we would avoid the drop. Trying to be positive, which is difficult, could it be a confidence thing, which we could put right on Thursday with a win.

We managed to score twice which evened out us managing to concede min 2 goals a game.Overall we played ok up there but still lost a lead , conceded from a cross and allowed them too many chances.

El Ghazi started that match brilliantly. To me he's the player in the squad that most sums up up. On his day fantastic but so erratic with his performances.

His stats at this level don't look too bad but I've been disappointed with his performances generally this season. This isn't some guy we've dug up from the minor leagues, he played in CL for Ajax.

Mind you I was criticising him this time last year and he stepped up very well in the run in so hopefully he can do the same again.

[ChicagoLion]

He was shocking against Sheffield Utd and picked again yesterday and as even worse.

[pauliewalnuts]

The Sheffield United comparison is very telling.

I am concerned by the fact so many of our players spend matches jogging around, there seems to be zero intensity, and that's a problem which starts and ends with the manager.

[ChicagoLion]

The Sheffield United comparison is very telling.

I am concerned by the fact so many of our players spend matches jogging around, there seems to be zero intensity, and that's a problem which starts and ends with the manager.

I think if we sigh every time we see the team sheet and the formation the players experiencing something similar.

[RamboandBruno]

The Sheffield United comparison is very telling.

I am concerned by the fact so many of our players spend matches jogging around, there seems to be zero intensity, and that's a problem which starts and ends with the manager.

Not the players??

Agree formation etc etc, but even my lads under 10 team take some responsibility for their own performances. Not being in form and lacking confidence is one thing, but being arsed chasing back is another. Take Guilbert, didn’t have a great game, but every time he lost the ball he made every effort to chase back. Targett, El Ghazi, Luiz need a fecking rocket.

[hilts_coolerking]

I think the players bear some responsibility, of course, but if they're regularly turning in such poor performances why does the manager keep picking them?  That's his fault.

[Three Spires Villa]

I think the players bear some responsibility, of course, but if they're regularly turning in such poor performances why does the manager keep picking them?  That's his fault.

And the same bloody formation grrrrrrr

[pauliewalnuts]

I think the players bear some responsibility, of course, but if they're regularly turning in such poor performances why does the manager keep picking them?  That's his fault.

This.

[PaulWinch again]

I think the players bear some responsibility, of course, but if they're regularly turning in such poor performances why does the manager keep picking them?  That's his fault.

This.

Yup. It’s very poor management.