Aston Villa v Wolves Post Match Thread.

[Billy Walker]

I think we looked better than West Ham did against the same opposition, so that's a positive of sorts. Eighteen points to play for, we have to keep fighting and believing.

[wince]

I watched Cov play just before the lockdown.   A bit lightweight but well drilled and can pass and move quickly.

They will go through us like a hot knife through butter.

This is the most depressing I’ve seen today.

[hilts_coolerking]

The vast majority of our players are just not good enough.  Being good enough means being able to play to the required standard without looking for excuses.  We have just binned Green, RHM and O'Hare.  Are the ones we are keeping any better?  Bad managers invariably have one thing in common.  They are stubborn.  They view change as weakness.  It is not, it is being flexible.  Using your brain to outwit the opposition.  When was the last time we had a really smart manager? SGT?

exactly, the day after we announce the abandonment of our crop of youth players we put Trez AEG Hourihane on show.

I always worry when I hear the word 'philosophy' about a football manager.  For one thing, it's a bullshit term.  For another, it basically means that manager only knows how to play one way and will stick dogmatically to it even when it's plainly shit.  A good football manager will be prepared to change his approach every game, even within a game, if it improves the chance of winning.

[PaulWinch again]

I watched Cov play just before the lockdown.   A bit lightweight but well drilled and can pass and move quickly.

They will go through us like a hot knife through butter.

This is the most depressing I’ve seen today.

Obviously didn’t watch Villa earlier...

[RamboandBruno]

The vast majority of our players are just not good enough.  Being good enough means being able to play to the required standard without looking for excuses.  We have just binned Green, RHM and O'Hare.  Are the ones we are keeping any better?  Bad managers invariably have one thing in common.  They are stubborn.  They view change as weakness.  It is not, it is being flexible.  Using your brain to outwit the opposition.  When was the last time we had a really smart manager? SGT?

exactly, the day after we announce the abandonment of our crop of youth players we put Trez AEG Hourihane on show.

I always worry when I hear the word 'philosophy' about a football manager.  For one thing, it's a bullshit term.  For another, it basically means that manager only knows how to play one way and will stick dogmatically to it even when it's plainly shit.  A good football manager will be prepared to change his approach every game, even within a game, if it improves the chance of winning.

I don’t know whether this is true, most find or believe in a particular style of play/tactics and seems to me find players to suit that. It seems to me today’s Wolves are a classic example of that. They e more or less played the same way since Nuno took charge, when they got promoted they replaced a couple of players they deemed not up to premier league and bought in replacements deemed good enough.
Klopp has used pretty the same tactics, highly dependent on attacking full backs and tinkered and improved his team over time.
It seems to me that the most successful teams have a distinct pattern of play

[hilts_coolerking]

It seems to me that the most successful teams have a distinct pattern of play

We must be the only team that has a distinct pattern of play that doesn't work.

[wince]

I watched Cov play just before the lockdown.   A bit lightweight but well drilled and can pass and move quickly.

They will go through us like a hot knife through butter.

This is the most depressing I’ve seen today.

Obviously didn’t watch Villa earlier...

Radio only.

[richtheholtender]

That performance was pathetic, we didn’t even push Wolves into 2nd gear.

I’ve always tried to stick with Dean but before lockdown we didn’t know our best team and if anything we are even further from knowing that now.  For the first time I’m thinking it might be the right thing to sack him, perhaps having a manager & coaching staff with zero top level experience between them is hitting us now.

There was an outcry for 2 up top but that is utterly pointless when those 2 have no clue of how to work together.

Hopefully that is Nylands last game, that throw out to Jota was symptomatic of the teams defending all season, horrific individual errors, fortunate not to be punished - Nyland / Mings / Hause looked like an accident waiting to happen all game.

Thing is with Nyland, regardless of how he does it, we seem to concede the least amount of goals when’s he’s in.

[RamboandBruno]

Your right Smith does want a distinct pattern of play he prefers, although in desperation he’s changed that several times this year. The pattern of play may or may not be faulty and the coaching may or may not be inadequate, we can have our opinions but none of us will know. What has become glaringly obvious, is that the players we have purchased or kept faith with are largely not good enough or are not good enough yet.
It seems now we bought with a ‘philosophy’ in mind, a bit second wave lambert esque, of young and hungry and potentially marketable for a bigger sell on price, rather than buying to fit in with a distinct tactical style of play in mind. Wolves didn’t think twice about buying a 30 year old Moutinho as he could play a role in the chosen style of play and he is a proven quality player.
As has been pointed out we bought a 22 year old untried at this level and expected him to do the business.

[john e]

Your right Smith does want a distinct pattern of play he prefers, although in desperation he’s changed that several times this year. The pattern of play may or may not be faulty and the coaching may or may not be inadequate, we can have our opinions but none of us will know. What has become glaringly obvious, is that the players we have purchased or kept faith with are largely not good enough or are not good enough yet.
It seems now we bought with a ‘philosophy’ in mind, a bit second wave lambert esque, of young and hungry and potentially marketable for a bigger sell on price, rather than buying to fit in with a distinct tactical style of play in mind. Wolves didn’t think twice about buying a 30 year old Moutinho as he could play a role in the chosen style of play and he is a proven quality player.
As has been pointed out we bought a 22 year old untried at this level and expected him to do the business.

They also bought a 22 year old untried at this level and he’s now the player everyone is shit scared of he’s that good

( he was surplus to requirements when he was with us)

[PaulWinch again]

Your right Smith does want a distinct pattern of play he prefers, although in desperation he’s changed that several times this year. The pattern of play may or may not be faulty and the coaching may or may not be inadequate, we can have our opinions but none of us will know. What has become glaringly obvious, is that the players we have purchased or kept faith with are largely not good enough or are not good enough yet.
It seems now we bought with a ‘philosophy’ in mind, a bit second wave lambert esque, of young and hungry and potentially marketable for a bigger sell on price, rather than buying to fit in with a distinct tactical style of play in mind. Wolves didn’t think twice about buying a 30 year old Moutinho as he could play a role in the chosen style of play and he is a proven quality player.
As has been pointed out we bought a 22 year old untried at this level and expected him to do the business.

They also bought a 22 year old untried at this level and he’s now the player everyone is shit scared of he’s that good

( he was surplus to requirements when he was with us)

Yes Adama is illustrative of how bad our planning and coaching has been for years.

[Allan C]

It looks to me like three, maybe more, of that lot have already lined up their next move and so have thrown it in for us. It’s the only explanation I can think of as to why they look so badly off form.

Is this really the only explanation you can think of? It's just easy mud to throw. The reality is much more simple. They are trying but just aren't good enough and we don't have the right blend of players at all, no matter what the formation. Confidence has gone too now so none of them are taking any responsibility, hence the lack of urgency.

I agree with that. It’s quite simple, all but one of the squad are not premier league quality. No where near good enough at this level I’m afraid

[RamboandBruno]

Yes but the difference was Traore was a bit part player for them last season, he wasn’t bought as their main and only goal threat and they already had himinez, jots, neves etc already established. We put Wes in and the alternative was Kodja

[wince]

Just look how Norwich are playing against Man U. There is some urgency to their play. Compare that to us. We are the worst team in the division.

[pauliewalnuts]

Just look how Norwich are playing against Man U. There is some urgency to their play. Compare that to us.

That is what worries me about us, and I was just watching this game and thinking exactly the same thing.

We just look totally unmotivated and totally free of spark and energy, just so lethargic.

If i was a supporter of another team, I would want us down.