Aston Villa v Wolves Post Match Thread.

[hilts_coolerking]

I thought when Targett went off we might be a bit more solid down our left but Traore went past Taylor at least twice literally like he wasn't there.

[Rudy65]

The new owners of Wolves who appointed Nuno took a gamble and boy has it has paid off massively.

They did. However, more impressively they first appointed Walter Zenga and then bulleted him quickly when it was obvious he wasn't up to it.

Our performances since Man U away have been appalling yet our owners / Purslow haven't taken tough decisions

I cant think of a good performance in the league since Man U

[supertom]

What is it about Aston Villa that has made us so far behind sides in terms of simple off the ball movement? We're 30 years behind the times in the way we play. It goes way back too. Pockets of good play aside, but never consistent, or seemingly without any forethought or grand plan, we play so rigidly. Even in better times under Gregory and O Neill, our play was pretty simple. With pube head we were very effective on counter attack, but as a possession side trying to break teams down, the movement was often poor. No small triangles, no pass and move, just a rigid 4-4-f-2. We've been the same way ever since, without an effective system and worse players.

Wolves by comparison, who weren't even that good today, coasted and every part about the way they played showed they've developed as fluid way of playing for a number of years. If a player receives the ball, another player has already anticipated the need to move and be in a position to receive the next pass. We don't do this and we've not done it for over 20 years. Frankly it's pathetic. It also highlights just why British managers have struggled for success this century and foreign coaches have become more successful. Then you look back at our meat and potatoes appointments, almost entirely predictable and uninspiring. There's a lot of intelligence in the way modern sides set up and train, but we're so far behind still. Unfortunately our choice in foreign coaches has been poor recently. There were some signs of Houllier instilling a bit more subtlety into our game, but we undid that all with the next appointment.

We've got to once again tear it all up, go back to square one and rebuild in the championship. But whoever the new manager is, needs tactical nous and an understanding of the modern game. In recent premier league times there haven't been many sides as consistently frustrating to watch as us in terms of passing and movement, in that ability to play in tight spaces. And the worst part is, we have a player like Grealish who'd absolutely excel if we could just drag ourselves out this outdated mentality.

For me it’s the British manager thing - there is a reason all the top clubs are managed by foreign managers - they have moved on and we are still stuck in the 70’s. There are plenty of promising managers in Germany, Spain, Argentina, France etc who’d pay their own taxi fare to B6 - do our new owners have the nous to go with their money??

Most definitely. If you look at most of our managers, our mentality has been either work hard and grind out a result, or go out and try and express yourself. There's no thought to it and a reason so few British managers are competing at the top of the Prem, is because they've completely outdated.
We need to be more adventurous in our recruitment this summer and get a manager who shares the ethos of the football club and the hierarchy (if we have a D.O.F, he needs to be in tune with the gaffer). We're still not making efficient enough use of our academy. We're not buying foreign players with any seeming grand plan of how they'll fit together. As a unit, Wolves look good because it looks like players have been scouted not just on their ability and attitude, but on how they'll gel together too. I look at our midfielders, and they don't fit together like a jigsaw, they're too different in style, and the fact we're regularly shifting formations, shows there was no grand plan.

[CT]

Do'L, McLeish, Lambert, Sherwood, Di Matteo, Bruce and, I hate to say it, Smith.We have had some uninspiring managers since Gregory. I leave MON out of that because he at least had us competing at the top end of the table (for all his faults).

Striking that all those managers are either British and/or lacked any real management experience. Why do we keep doing it??? Appoint an experienced foreign manager who has had success - please!

Do'L, McLeish, Lambert, Sherwood, Di Matteo, Bruce and, I hate to say it, Smith.We have had some uninspiring managers since Gregory. I leave MON out of that because he at least had us competing at the top end of the table (for all his faults).

The last ten years have, in the main, been pretty depressing for us. Some of the football we’ve seen is barely worthy of the name. I’m surprised we’ve got teenage kids who want to follow us.

[Nii Lamptey]

I thought when Targett went off we might be a bit more solid down our left but Traore went past Taylor at least twice literally like he wasn't there.

Would have probably been worse if Targett was still in there. Second time this season he's magically got injured in a match when he's up against Traore isn't it? Just a coincidence?

[Sexual Ealing]

I thought when Targett went off we might be a bit more solid down our left but Traore went past Taylor at least twice literally like he wasn't there.

Would have probably been worse of Targett was still in there. Second time this season he's magically got injured in a match when he's up against Traore isn't it? Just a coincidence?

Yes. Don't be daft.

[Damo70]

If we go down the question is whether the owners would go for a Warnock/Pulis style promotion expert who could also arguably keep you up even if it wasn't pretty or a long term Nuno/Wolves appointment. Bearing in mind for every Nuno there are a dozen Pep Clotet's and Pepe Mel's.

[David_Nab]

I thought when Targett went off we might be a bit more solid down our left but Traore went past Taylor at least twice literally like he wasn't there.

Would have probably been worse if Targett was still in there. Second time this season he's magically got injured in a match when he's up against Traore isn't it? Just a coincidence?

Wouldn't he have been better playing until Traore came on then faking an injury ...

[hilts_coolerking]

Most definitely. If you look at most of our managers, our mentality has been either work hard and grind out a result, or go out and try and express yourself. There's no thought to it and a reason so few British managers are competing at the top of the Prem, is because they've completely outdated.

I've always hated that phrase 'express yourself' in football.  I don't want players expressing themselves like mad all over the pitch, whatever that even means.  I just want good players playing better.

[hilts_coolerking]

The quality isn't there. We try, we close, we run about, we put the miles in, but there just isn't that turn of pace, the quality up front or in midfield with delivery.

It's nothing to do with intangible clichéd stuff like bottle and the like. Its about a side like Wolves having the quality of organisation to make it very difficult to find space and deny opportunities. Its about Johnny making a run that isn't picked up and when the ball does fall, for realistically the only chance of the game of note, and having the quality to take it.

We are reliant on Hourihane, a player who was nicknamed Hologram last season. He lacks pace and a righf foot.
Nakamba, lacks composure and a range of passing. AEG and Tezuguet, Taylor, Elmo, Konsa, House, Samatta, Wesley, Nyland, Davis they're all not good enough for this level.

Coaching, systems, it really doesn't matter when you aren't good enough. We are a Championship squad, with a sprinkling of good players; Heaton, Mings, McGinn, Luiz, Grealish. Sadly we will likely only keep one of those for next season, Heaton and maybe Luiz.

Recruitment has been poor and now confidence is completely evaporated. But what system and selection can anybody put out and say with confidence that yes, that is a side who will dominate games in this league. I can't and to that end Smith has been left badly exposed.

I'm disappointed I won't get to see Grealish live again in a Villa shirt.

And that's as good a summary of it as anyone's going to get.

I think it absolves the coaching too much. There is absolutely no game plan at all.

Fair point.  Smith and the coaching don't appear to have accomplished anything this season with the players.  Smith just isn't good enough.  That's quite apparent.

[Villan82]

Do'L, McLeish, Lambert, Sherwood, Di Matteo, Bruce and, I hate to say it, Smith.We have had some uninspiring managers since Gregory. I leave MON out of that because he at least had us competing at the top end of the table (for all his faults).

Striking that all those managers are either British and/or lacked any real management experience. Why do we keep doing it??? Appoint an experienced foreign manager who has had success - please!

4 of them are British and also, I forgot Houllier, he wasn't British or Garde who I also forgot. Fuck sake. We are a mess.

[olaftab]

This is the most predictable 0-1 ever. Some huff and puff from us whilst opposition toyed with us in the first half. They notched it up slightly to score and just watched the game out  without breaking sweat. Depressing.

[Stu]

Never. Hope.

Hope is a lie.

[CT]

Never. Hope.

Hope is a lie.

Just remember, even hopeless, has hope in it.

[charlatan]

The new owners of Wolves who appointed Nuno took a gamble and boy has it has paid off massively.

They did. However, more impressively they first appointed Walter Zenga and then bulleted him quickly when it was obvious he wasn't up to it.

Our performances since Man U away have been appalling yet our owners / Purslow haven't taken tough decisions

I cant think of a good performance in the league since Man U

Good performance at Burnley where we also had two key injuries. For all the flak Wesley was getting, he held the ball up more effectively than Samatta or Davis.