Brighton 0-0 Aston Villa post match thread

[kippaxvilla2]

Putting last night into context.  Five years ago today we were being battered 6-0 at home to Liverpool.  With Joleon tweeting his new car straight after.

[danno]

I don't really understand why we couldn't change shape. Or why it took an injury before we made our first substitution. Maybe sticking to what we knew got us a point, but it was a lousy performance.

[Allan C]

Really awful performance, one of the worst in ages with the exception of the keeper. What is pleasing though is the habit of playing like that and not losing. Going the right way still and we’ll keep improving

You can include Mings, Konsa, Targett and Cash with Martinez. We have to take some of the positives.

Yes absolutely right  but then I’ve never doubted the defence particularly Mings  as good a defence as anywhere in the PL

[N'ZMAV]

Better to sleep on it than comment in the moment, as I find watching it on the TV so much more frustrating than being at the game.

.... we ought to be more competitive.

I too decided not to comment on here last night.
I pretty much agree with everything you've said (apart from the spelling of Sanson). I particularly thought that the whole defensive set-up was too deep - Luiz and McGinn needed to come forward 10-12 meters. Furthermore, JG needs to offer a moving target for opponents: if they are doubling up on him on the left, take a more floating role and push the starting no.10 wider to maintain the width.

I thought we'd draw before the match, so I'm okay with the result; but it was a painful viewing.

my phone was auto-correcting it to Sansom last night.

[robleflaneur]

I like Ads idea of Jack as a false 9 but I would have Ollie and Traore as wide forwards  with McGinn and Sanson as 8s either side of Dougie.The brief being quick short passing.

[Clampy]

Not too much to say other than what everyone else has already said, it was pretty awful.

[Villa Lew]

Dreadful performance, the good news we have along with Ederson and Pope the best keeper in the league, he was superb and gave a very honest after match interview, basically saying we were rubbish. Back 4 were also very good and it's great to see Mings back to best, and that's the end of the good news.

It's time Dean made some changes, Barkley clearly needs to be dropped, I would start with Sanson next match, to give him just 15 minutes yesterday was a nonsense. Jack has been ineffective on the wing, needs to be moved to a more central role, a position I have always thought is he's best.

[Rudy65]

Agree with Ads

Barkley, McGinn, Luiz and Traore have been poor for some while. Drop 3 of them and bring in 3 of Ramsay, Samson, Trez and Marvellous (who I really don’t rate but did ok against Arsenal). Need to get JG free to roam and not stuck out of the left wing

[WarszaVillan]

I'd consider putting Jack back in the middle and AEG on the left wing. I know he was terrible against West Ham, but before Barkley came back in he was on fire.

[Ian.]

I’d definitely put Jack in the hole...

[Richard]

I partially blame Smith for Barkley and the midfield issues, hes playing far too forward which sometimes leaves a massive gap behind for the opposition to dominate our 2.

[N'ZMAV]

with Barkley in the team and Jack and Traore playing quite high up, it's practically a 4-2-4 - it's leaving McGinn and Luiz with too much to do.

[Proposition Joe]

It's in the Club's DNA to go on really long losing runs, sometimes you can see them coming, sometimes they are inexplicable.

We are actually in one now, but the magic of this season, sheer force of will, Martinez and the defence, or something else, has pulled off draws and wins where other Villa teams would have collapsed by now. So that's my positive from this, and I hope we suddenly spring back into life next week.

[dorsetvillian]

Its a mystery where the free flowing, fluid  football in that first  half at Burnley has gone. Covid maybe having a bigger influence than we thought. It was like a training game last night. Poor from the kick-off to final whistle. Shape needed changing. It is amazing that 4 experienced coaches couldn't see that. Just another body with more energy in the middle could have won us the game.

[JUAN PABLO]

I dont think Bert has been that poor recently , he had a good game against Arsenal  Barkley is the problem , why Bert gets taken off instead of Barkley when he looked like Bert was getting more of the ball second half and didnt lose it as much as Barkley . Should have been Morgan for Barkley at HT and not Trez for Bert .

Morgan has to start next game for Barkley , I might be tempted to play JJ for SJM but cant see DS dropping both Barkley and SJM.

anyway very poor performance , its great to have a class goalie who looks like a proper leader too.