Aston Villa Silhouettes vs Manchester City Post-Match Thrashing

[auntiesledd]

We have definitely become a team that doesn't foul a lot. Now whilst that is admirable in allowing the game to flow, if it allows your opposition time and space to build up their attacks time and again, it is not working.
It frustrates me how we stand off the opposition so often, in a "come and break us down then" approach. When we should be stepping in to them and forcing them to play.

Our midfield three apparently made four tackles yesterday, it's doing the rounds on Twitter.

Sounds about right. They looked about as robust as bunch of paper-plated blancmanges on the patio during a hurricane. Or something.

[The Edge]

According to MOTD2 we only lost that game by 2.76 to 1.12 expected goals. Clearly, Man City just edged it...

Whenever i see that stat i do wonder what the fuck it means!

[Hookeysmith]

Trying to take any positive

This division is tough if you are not on your game - we tonked Norwich 5 at their place and it could have been more so it is always possible
Man City can and do that to a lot of teams - and they do it often as well (they put 6 past Watford in the FA cup final)
Not many teams could have the entire spine missing from the supposed best starting 11 (Heaton / McGinn / Wesley / Davis)

The reality

Fill your team with championship grade players and that is where you will end up
The team selection was defeatist - The complete opposite of what Smith's ethos was when he arrived (same mentality happened to Lambert as well)
Although we obviously need a striker(s) it is the weak midfield combination that need cracking - either with additions or by better utilising what we have via game plan.


Individuals / mentality

Targett - seemingly each time he has a poor game he mysteriously becomes injured - smacks of mental weakness at this level
Taylor - actually looks scared to death when he receives the ball
Hologram - I could see the thought behind him being picked - best chance for a goal was via a deadball - but there is no point if we are not in positions to win any free kicks in dangerous areas. Without them our one trick pony is a no trick pony and actually a liability.

My Anger is saved for one player in particular.

Luiz - you timid, ego centric waste of a space player. half arsed, lazy and as weak as piss in challenges. To cap yesterday off his hand shake of Pep, before he shook his own Managers hand means I never want to see him in the shirt again.
Total fucking billy big bollocks coward - you should not be playing for us so you can forget ever getting into their team

[Drummond]

We played them and got stuffed at their place with Heaton, McGinn and Wesley. We were hardly likely to do any better without them.

But fuck me.

There was no Guilbert or Targett this time either, and we could have done with them in my view.

[dorsetvillian]

Just about calmed down after the shambles yesterday. Ended up doing over 10 hours driving to witness such a pathetic performance. The lack of heart, desire and fight was frightening, Compounded by basic mistakes throughout the team.  I just see 15/16 all over again, which is so depressing. I just hope there is a reaction at Brighton.

[Risso]

We played them and got stuffed at their place with Heaton, McGinn and Wesley. We were hardly likely to do any better without them.

But fuck me.

There was no Guilbert or Targett this time either, and we could have done with them in my view.

I don't understand the thinking in not playing Guilbert.  He's got miles more energy than Elmo, which is what you need from your right/wing back when playing three at the back.  If he was prepared to write the game off by getting Drinkwater up to speed, why didn't he give Guilbert a chance to put some extra practice in in the role?

[Drummond]

Maybe he just gave up on yesterday. Decided to rest him.

Guardiola said he'd picked Aguero and Jesus because we were playing 5 at the back, how did he know that?

[Luke8]

Just about calmed down after the shambles yesterday. Ended up doing over 10 hours driving to witness such a pathetic performance. The lack of heart, desire and fight was frightening, Compounded by basic mistakes throughout the team.  I just see 15/16 all over again, which is so depressing. I just hope there is a reaction at Brighton.

Yesterday was awful but this isn’t 15/16 - we were bottom of the league and adrift by a mile at this stage already back then.

Doesn’t condone yesterdays performance, but we were terrible at Watford and then reacted with a good performance and win at Burnley so it’s more than possible that we do well in the upcoming games.

[Steve67]

Maybe he just gave up on yesterday. Decided to rest him.

Guardiola said he'd picked Aguero and Jesus because we were playing 5 at the back, how did he know that?

Because he's a high quality Manager and reads the game well.

[Drummond]

Maybe he just gave up on yesterday. Decided to rest him.

Guardiola said he'd picked Aguero and Jesus because we were playing 5 at the back, how did he know that?

Because he's a high quality Manager and reads the game well.

He guessed.

[villa `cross the mersey]

Maybe he just gave up on yesterday. Decided to rest him.

Guardiola said he'd picked Aguero and Jesus because we were playing 5 at the back, how did he know that?

Because he's a high quality Manager and reads the game well.

He guessed.

or Luiz sent him a text

[Hookeysmith]

Maybe he just gave up on yesterday. Decided to rest him.

Guardiola said he'd picked Aguero and Jesus because we were playing 5 at the back, how did he know that?

Because he's a high quality Manager and reads the game well.

He guessed.

or Luiz sent him a text

As if I would need another reason to really dislike this bloke - I wouldn't be surprised

[cdbearsfan]

We played five at the back in our previous league game, which we won. I don't think you'd have needed to consult Nostradamus to speculate that we might do the same again.

[Lastfootstamper]

We played five at the back in our previous league game, which we won. I don't think you'd have needed to consult Nostradamus to speculate that we might do the same again.

I know! Come on, hands up anyone who didn't think we'd play a 5. Anyone.

[AsTallAsLions]

But it wasn't truly a back five, which was actually part of the problem.

I have no objection to parking the bus if it's done right, but Jesus Christ the defensive tactics yesterday were fucking shite, along with the selection of the full-backs.