Aston Villa vs Manchester City Post-Keeping the Score Down Thread

[Des Little]

The midfield is the issue, with us - we lack an enforcer with physical presence to hold it together and dictate the play, and our passing is far from good enough. Teams are finding it too easy to cut through us and even when we get it back, too many passes are wasted and we’re back under pressure. I’d like to see two real quality midfielders come in this summer.

[Abbeyfealeavfc]

I didn't watch the match, so can't comment on performance. Obviously disappointed by the result and in Cash who by all accounts was rash and brought the sending off on himself.
A numerical advantage against a scab team has to be used. Cash getting sent off shows a weakness in his game and ultimately let the Villa team and fans down.
Still at least Cash has ensured he won't be lining up against the bitters on Sunday.

[Mister E]

The midfield is the issue, with us - we lack an enforcer with physical presence to hold it together and dictate the play, and our passing is far from good enough. Teams are finding it too easy to cut through us and even when we get it back, too many passes are wasted and we’re back under pressure. I’d like to see two real quality midfielders come in this summer.

This has been a clear theme since January.
We give the ball away with frightening ease - McGinn was particularly guilty last night (not for the first time). And, we lack drive through the middle of the park. However, we are still a work-in-progress and I reminded myself last night that Citeh have spend £1.2bn on players: we have spent about a fifth of that.
We need a really good summer of considered player-acquisition.

Question: is the team's apparent lethargy a result of Smith's management style? And, has this group of players accepted that we are a one-man team?

[john e]

The midfield is the issue, with us - we lack an enforcer with physical presence to hold it together and dictate the play, and our passing is far from good enough. Teams are finding it too easy to cut through us and even when we get it back, too many passes are wasted and we’re back under pressure. I’d like to see two real quality midfielders come in this summer.

Enforce all you like but If you give the ball straight back to the opposition there’s no point
We need better footballers not bigger Physical ones

[Monty]

The midfield is the issue, with us - we lack an enforcer with physical presence to hold it together and dictate the play, and our passing is far from good enough. Teams are finding it too easy to cut through us and even when we get it back, too many passes are wasted and we’re back under pressure. I’d like to see two real quality midfielders come in this summer.

Enforce all you like but If you give the ball straight back to the opposition there’s no point
We need better footballers not bigger Physical ones

Totally agree, amazes me how people can watch us get bossed by a Guardiola team and conclude that the issue is which midfield would win at arm wrestling. A lot of the time, what people perceive as 'strength' or 'presence' is actually quick reactions and sure-footed technique.

[colin69]

Man City are an excellent side and Foden is a fantastic player, but I still felt with 11 against 10 we could nick something. Cash being sent off changed all that and we were not able to get hold of the ball at all and when we did Barkley in particular gave it straight back them.
Our midfield and wide players are just not good enough at this level and we need to spend big in the summer if we want to get to the next level.
A 1-2 score line is no disgrace but in reality we were extremely poor apart from the first 22 seconds.

[WRVilla]

I agree with the above - we need brains not brawn - a player who doesn’t panic when in possession, looks up and creates space for themselves and others. We have that in Jack but without him nobody else is capable of it. We need 2 central midfielders (upgrades), at least one winger and a striker in the summer.

Another thing - City playing the percentage game for 90+ minutes is dull and boring despite the talent they have, not sure I’d be able to watch that every week!

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

The midfield is the issue, with us - we lack an enforcer with physical presence to hold it together and dictate the play, and our passing is far from good enough. Teams are finding it too easy to cut through us and even when we get it back, too many passes are wasted and we’re back under pressure. I’d like to see two real quality midfielders come in this summer.

Enforce all you like but If you give the ball straight back to the opposition there’s no point
We need better footballers not bigger Physical ones

Totally agree, amazes me how people can watch us get bossed by a Guardiola team and conclude that the issue is which midfield would win at arm wrestling. A lot of the time, what people perceive as 'strength' or 'presence' is actually quick reactions and sure-footed technique.

john e and Monty spot on!

[aj2k77]

I agree with the above - we need brains not brawn - a player who doesn’t panic when in possession, looks up and creates space for themselves and others. We have that in Jack but without him nobody else is capable of it. We need 2 central midfielders (upgrades), at least one winger and a striker in the summer.

Another thing - City playing the percentage game for 90+ minutes is dull and boring despite the talent they have, not sure I’d be able to watch that every week!

They're a much better footballing team than we are. I'd much rather watch passing and movement than Nakamba shinning ball after ball to opposition midfielders.

[Villan82]

If we ever want to be a top 6 team again in near future it's a skill we're going to have to learn sooner or later. The teams under MON were always good for getting draws and wins in games we were losing so that squad had the ability, this one simply dosen't.

A couple of months ago, when things looked better than they currently do, I posted that we get beat too often under Dean and the response was that draws are no good and our approach results in more wins. I was a bit taken aback at the time as there aren't many teams who turn their noses up at a point from a tough game or where you've been behind.

Before and after relegation we saw how hard it is to shift a losing habit and the damage it did to us. It took us a full season in the championship to break the losing mentality built up over 4 or 5 years.

Dean's next task is to make us harder to beat- turn 3 or 4 losses into draws and we'd still be sitting 9th rather than 11th behind newly promoted Leeds and a bad Arsenal team.

[brontebilly]

I agree with the above - we need brains not brawn - a player who doesn’t panic when in possession, looks up and creates space for themselves and others. We have that in Jack but without him nobody else is capable of it. We need 2 central midfielders (upgrades), at least one winger and a striker in the summer.

Another thing - City playing the percentage game for 90+ minutes is dull and boring despite the talent they have, not sure I’d be able to watch that every week!

They're a much better footballing team than we are. I'd much rather watch passing and movement than Nakamba shinning ball after ball to opposition midfielders.

Thought City were brilliant last night. They could have gone down to 8 or 9 players and still beaten us at their ease. Konsa and Mings saved us from an absolute hiding.

[Drummond]

That's the first time we've dropped points from a winning position at Villa Park this season.

[eamonn]

Yeah, it's a bit harsh to call-out our inability to come from behind to win points. We often score the first goal ourselves so there's less opportunities to make a comeback.

Burnley, Liverpool and Citeh are the three games we've lost from a winning position but I think that's one of the best records in terms of keeping leads. The Burnley one was a bit of a fluke and Liverpool needed a last minute "worldy" after we had had the best of the second half against them.

[mrfuse]

I agree with the above - we need brains not brawn - a player who doesn’t panic when in possession, looks up and creates space for themselves and others. We have that in Jack but without him nobody else is capable of it. We need 2 central midfielders (upgrades), at least one winger and a striker in the summer.

Another thing - City playing the percentage game for 90+ minutes is dull and boring despite the talent they have, not sure I’d be able to watch that every week!

They're a much better footballing team than we are. I'd much rather watch passing and movement than Nakamba shinning ball after ball to opposition midfielders.

Thought City were brilliant last night. They could have gone down to 8 or 9 players and still beaten us at their ease. Konsa and Mings saved us from an absolute hiding.

I disagree with a lot of comments on here that City were brilliant last night.

They were okay and mainly because we just let them do what they want.Personally I don't like the Football Man City play because its dull to watch and the tempo is very slow but that's just a personal opinion, It works its just not my thing.

I'm not overly obsessed with giving the ball away either its just the areas you give the ball away and then what you do to get it back. Any team will out pass us if we let them and there seems no desire from anyone in midfield chopping on the bit to harass the opposition. It cant be difficult to have Nakamba run his socks off closing down with back up from the team and then just give a simple pass to the nearest player.


We need brains and Brawn and at the moment we don't have either.

[Sexual Ealing]

City were fantastic last night. They battered us. The passing and movement was incredible.