Aston Villa v Chelsea Post Match Thread

[Sexual Ealing]

For the first time ever I just thought of Allardyce and didn't recoil in horror.

[Des Little]

I honestly believe last year’s team would beat this years. It may sound ridiculous but I really think they would. We don’t carry a threat whatsoever.

[Bermuda Villa]

To make no formation change with 20 mins to go in our current predicament makes my blood boil. Why not switch to 4-4-2 with Jack playing off Samatta to give the lad some help and at least have a go. The midfield today apart from Luiz was truly woeful. The amount of time Chelsea had a spare player moving into space to receive the ball compared to our options when we had point to the standard of the coaching. Also playing narrow at the back made it so easy for the Chelsea Wing Backs and yet we do nothing to change it and eventually it told. I love Dean for getting us promoted but his tactics and Suso's sub-standard recruitment should see the end of both.

[kippaxvilla2]

I can tell you now he’s going to blame the fact that the league allowed five subs and ‘you only have to look at their bench to see the difference.’  Or words to that effect.  Overlooking our £140m bric a brac purchases.

[hilts_coolerking]

At this point I'd bin him whether we stay up or go down.  We can do a lot better than him.

[supertom]

I firmly believe we missed the bus by not replacing Smith at Christmas, we then followed it up by not getting rid at the onset of lockdown.  Premier Leage football is non-forgiving, make a mistake, however minimal; you pay the price, and our owners plus CEO have erred big time.  Just my opinion.

My thoughts too. The League cup final really cursed us to be honest. And all for nought in the end. It made Smith unsackable, and it gave us extra games we could have done without. No manager is going to get sacked before the season ends. Every manager will be seeing the season out for better or worse, and regardless, with 8 games left, it's too late anyway. Unless we beat a top half side, we can't escape. And we're probably going to have to do it 2-3 times (and win the more 'winnable' games...)

[Monty]

We really need to start turning 'respectable defeats' into points. Not good enough today.

Also, referees need to enforce better distancing rules for Jack, absolutely absurd today as ever.

[ktvillan]

We weren't ready to come up and still weren't ready after spending £130m.  Smith is out of his depth, and  only really got us up on the back of Grealish and to a lesser extent MgGinn, Abrahams and Mings.  He won't get us back up next year without that lot. No chance.  Time to get rid and have one last shot at staying up with a new manager bounce.  Might even be worth giving big Sam a go just for the rest of the season.  At least we'd show some fight and spirit.

[themossman]

I realise now what a nice break it’s been without villa regularly ruining my day. Schrodinger’s relegation.

[Toronto Villa]

For the first time ever I just thought of Allardyce and didn't recoil in horror.

I'd take him now no problem. Spare me the eye bleeding football comments because what I saw today was worse by a long way than anything one of his teams as ever thrown together. Dean Smith is very much in Remi Garde/Black/McLeish territory.

[PaulWinch again]

I honestly can't see us winning another game. 

No not if we play like that. We have to carry a threat and have an intent to hurt teams. We go onto games waving the white flag and we’ll get what we got today.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Jack looked to me like a player who has already checked out.

I said Wednesday night, he reminds me of Ashley Young when he was half out the door.

[hilts_coolerking]

We really need to start turning 'respectable defeats' into points. Not good enough today.

Also, referee's need to enforce better distancing rules for Jack, absolutely absurd today as ever.

We're not going to though Monty, sadly.  Dean just doesn't know how to protect a lead or grab a game by the scruff of the neck and get back into it.

[myf]

it's always so predictable. 1 good run in, what, 7 years? probably would have been easier to be relegated on ppg

[CT Villan]

That was a Steve Bruce performance, keep bodies behind the ball and try to nick a goal !

Chelsea were nothing special, but we allowed them to look like Barcelona.

Sadly, the blames lies entirely at Smith's door.