Barcodes-1 Aston Villa -1 Post Match Thread

[ChicagoLion]

This was a struggling Newcastle team without their 3 significantly best players and were unlucky not to get  3 points. That’s how bad we were and have been now for several weeks.
Smith does seem to go on these long runs of poor form.
It’s like we still have Bruce as manager.

[PaulTheVillan]

We really need to work on the positions wide/behind the striker. I still think Jack is better wide left. We need a right winger who can beat a man, old school get to the byline.

[N'ZMAV]

Fair result, but really poor performance.
A few off days in the team doesn't help.
Mings couldn't handle Joelinton at all - which surprised me.
There's too much faffing around by the attacking midfield players - it's like they don't have the confidence in their ability to get the right pass at the time time, especially when playing it forward - perfectly summed up with that Barkley pass to Watkins; by the time Barkley released the ball Watkins was offside. It clearly needed playing straight away.
El Ghazi needs to improve his vision and decision making, he, similar to Trez;when they have time to think, it makes them worse. They need to be more impulsive.

[N'ZMAV]

Watkins was poor last night; something that hasn't happened too often. He clearly needs help, the gap between him and the nearest midfielder was too big.

[Clampy]

We were poor again but we've only got ourselves to blame for not finishing the game off in the last few minutes. If Jack is on that pitch, I think we win that easily but we should have anyway towards the end.

[Meanwood Villa]

I suppose one plus point is that we are still collecting points when we've been pretty crap for weeks now. It's a funny old game as someone once said, we were crying out for a dull mid table season before this one started and now we've got it, we're pissed off. Are football fans ever happy? (Not a dig by the way, just musing on it)

Some thoughts on the team. Good solid back 5, although Mings was crap last night. Konsa is pure class. Really not sure on Dougie. For me he's had a poor season and Marvelous didn't deserve to get hooked after one bad performance. McGinn will always have a special place in our hearts but again, has he had a good season really? I'm not sure the deeper role suits him. Maybe I'm being overly harsh given the general uptick this season and the role they've both played in that. Gone a bit stale though.

Ramsey is a kid but he's anonymous. Doesn't do anything. Sanson has only had bitty roles but ditto. Thank God we didn't buy Barkley. Think he might still have a goal or two in him this season but he is not the long term answer at all. Agree with what someone said about AEG and Bert that they've done well finishing chances but don't create anything themselves. Trez is a bit of a cult hero in my crowd and was a vital cog in our flying start but he really doesn't do a lot very well. Watkins is great but needs competition and someone to take the burden.

Bit of a scathing assessment perhaps which I didn't think it would be when I started writing. Clearly the bulk of these players will be playing next season as well. Probably biggest priorities for me are another striker  (back to Brentford for Toney?) and a wide player like Lookman.

[mr underhill]

We've been poor since that Covid outbreak. Lots of natural (players out of contract) and forced changes (if there are buyers) should see us part company with Elmo, Taylor, FG, RB (40m!!)  CH, one of Trez  or AEG, KD  and Engles  with the possibility of Heaton too, who won't want to bench warm much longer. There m ight be at least one other of course if a cheque for £100m plus comes in.

[richtheholtender]

Coutinho from Barca and Ings from Southampton in the summer please. Both very much available and within budget would give us the options we need. At times this season (last night included) we’ve lacked creativity and an alternative to Ollie.

[Risso]

Coutinho from Barca and Ings from Southampton in the summer please. Both very much available and within budget would give us the options we need. At times this season (last night included) we’ve lacked creativity and an alternative to Ollie.

I don't think we'd be after somebody like Ings as good as he can be. He's 29 in the summer, and for what Southampton would want for him there has to be better value elsewhere.

[Hookeysmith]

Mings who has been great for last few games was completely bullied by Jolinton, thank god he falls to pieces inside the box.

Mcginn great championship player, simply not good enough to be prem regular. Clearly a favourite in the dressing room as he cannot be being picked on form.

Ollie has started to look really jaded and a lot of our troubles start when he does not holdthe ball to allow others to break.

Agree with others Trez and Anwar need replacing. At the moment i would not take Barclay for free.

And wtf has happened to our final 3rd balls, our crossing has become abysmal

[Meanwood Villa]

Coutinho from Barca and Ings from Southampton in the summer please. Both very much available and within budget would give us the options we need. At times this season (last night included) we’ve lacked creativity and an alternative to Ollie.

I don't think we'd be after somebody like Ings as good as he can be. He's 29 in the summer, and for what Southampton would want for him there has to be better value elsewhere.

Injury prone as well

[Mister E]

This game was ours to win: we are safe, have had plenty of time to recuperate and have the players to damage teams like the Barcodes. That we didn't was down to a few factors: an apparent reluctance to get on the front foot; a reliance on Watkins to bully their 2 (strong and experienced) CB; poor personal performances from McGinn and Luiz in particular (our midfield was generally poor all evening); a bizarre mindset from Mings who seemed to get drawn into a personal battle with Joelinton; poor game management at the end.
Barkley coming on did not help.
Being without JG should not mean that we cannot win games: with better control of the ball and a crisper pass-and-move approach we'd have been home and hosed well before the end, against poor opposition.

Interestingly, this is what the Grauniad reported Smith as saying: “We didn’t deserve to win. It was a very scrappy game, we have a few players short on confidence and we’re not creating chances.” Why do we have a few players short on confidence FFS? And, why are you playing them if that is the case?!

[richtheholtender]

Coutinho from Barca and Ings from Southampton in the summer please. Both very much available and within budget would give us the options we need. At times this season (last night included) we’ve lacked creativity and an alternative to Ollie.

He’s only got 18 months left on his contract. He may well be cheaper than what his actual value is. He could easily do it for a couple of seasons. As for the injury prone view, he would come in to aid Ollie not replace him putting less stress on both of them. As a result both would be a lot sharper having been less reliant to play a full fixture schedule. I think it works but understand why others don’t and for what it’s worth I think he’ll be Vardys replacement at Leicester anyway.

I don't think we'd be after somebody like Ings as good as he can be. He's 29 in the summer, and for what Southampton would want for him there has to be better value elsewhere.

[richtheholtender]

Coutinho from Barca and Ings from Southampton in the summer please. Both very much available and within budget would give us the options we need. At times this season (last night included) we’ve lacked creativity and an alternative to Ollie.

I don't think we'd be after somebody like Ings as good as he can be. He's 29 in the summer, and for what Southampton would want for him there has to be better value elsewhere.

Injury prone as well

He’s only got 18 months left on his contract. He may well be cheaper than what his actual value is. He could easily do it for a couple of seasons. As for the injury prone view, he would come in to aid Ollie not replace him putting less stress on both of them. As a result both would be a lot sharper having been less reliant to play a full fixture schedule. I think it works but understand why others don’t and for what it’s worth I think he’ll be Vardys replacement at Leicester anyway.

[richtheholtender]

Having a nightmare with this. You get my point I will shut up