Villa Arsenal Post Match

[SoccerHQ]

My biggest concern about Saturday is that we appear to be going backwards. Under DS we were going toe to toe with Arsenal and we even had the club trolling them for a while. We even had the cheek to offer 30m for Smith-Rowe now look at us. We were meek almost to the point of accepting second best on Saturday. It's not acceptable and I'm sure hoping that SG will be making that point in no uncertain terms on the training ground today.

The last time we played Arsenal at whatever their new grounds called we were rubbish
The worst performance of the season Apart from a cracking goal by Ramsey when it was all done and dusted
It was another nail in DS’s coffin at the time

You’re correct though we did have some decent results against top-class opposition under Dean  for a while, But that’s not how it finished

To me it felt like we were getting under Arsenal's skin we were a team on the rise while they were a team in decline. I didn't have that feeling at all on Saturday like we were back to square one.

To me last season was a massive missed opportunity.

Arsenal were very much in transition then and we really should've finished above them and possibly Spurs aswell. Instead we barely won a game for three months with you know who injured who then leaves and now the gulf to those two feels as wide as the day we were promoted.

Sometimes as a club you've got to be ruthless when in good positions but we just let too many chances pass us by and we're floating in no man's land now in the prem.

This summer for first time in a while it should be quality over quantity in the signings we make and we certainly know the key positions we need to fill so just up to Gerrard and Lange to get that right.

Even then it's more likely we'll be competing for 7th and 8th and hopefully finishing above one of Wolves/West Ham.

[Beard82]

If our tactic was to play through the press surely that’s fucking stupid - our goalkeeper and Center half’s are shit with the ball - McGinn relies on recieving the ball in the turn and rolling the opposition player. All our midfielders are too careless in position. 

Surely the tactics that would work better would have been to get the ball to Ramsey, Coutinho or Cash and see if they could drive through the press and get runners around them . 

I’ll admit I am shit at this tactics thing - but to me it seems like matching our weakness up against there strength

[Hillbilly]

I honestly can't see player-for-player that we shouldn't have been a match for Arsenal, apart from Saka but then we have Coutinho. I'd hope it's because Arteta has had a bit longer to coach them into shape or that Gerrard is still a bit wet behind the ears.

[ChicagoLion]

I honestly can't see player-for-player that we shouldn't have been a match for Arsenal, apart from Saka but then we have Coutinho. I'd hope it's because Arteta has had a bit longer to coach them into shape or that Gerrard is still a bit wet behind the ears.

They worked out how to stop us getting out from the goalkeeper, we resort to hoof to Watkins and they took the ball off him every time just as West Ham did. Then we stood off them when they were is possession because we had no co-ordinated press. They score they win.

[simboy]

I honestly can't see player-for-player that we shouldn't have been a match for Arsenal, apart from Saka but then we have Coutinho. I'd hope it's because Arteta has had a bit longer to coach them into shape or that Gerrard is still a bit wet behind the ears.

They worked out how to stop us getting out from the goalkeeper, we resort to hoof to Watkins and they took the ball off him every time just as West Ham did. Then we stood off them when they were is possession because we had no co-ordinated press. They score they win.

Partly because no one got close to Watkins. There were three or four occasions where Watkins would challenge for a ball and the only people with Villa tops on within a 20 yard radius were the crowd. I appreciate it doesn’t fit the narrative on here that Watkins is crap but the attacking midfielders have to bear quite a bit of the blame for not getting near our lone striker on Saturday.

We also made Partey look like Cruyff. He had so much time on the ball.

Our most creative attacking threat came from two Cash runs.

All in all, very poor from the midfield, from both an attacking and defensive perspective.  To allow Saka the freedom of the park until confronted by our ageing left back is criminal. McGinn tightened up later but it drags Mings out as cover when he doesn’t do his job allowing their no.9 room.

Hopefully the international break will allow some reorganisation

[The Edge]

I honestly can't see player-for-player that we shouldn't have been a match for Arsenal, apart from Saka but then we have Coutinho. I'd hope it's because Arteta has had a bit longer to coach them into shape or that Gerrard is still a bit wet behind the ears.

They worked out how to stop us getting out from the goalkeeper, we resort to hoof to Watkins and they took the ball off him every time just as West Ham did. Then we stood off them when they were is possession because we had no co-ordinated press. They score they win.

Partly because no one got close to Watkins. There were three or four occasions where Watkins would challenge for a ball and the only people with Villa tops on within a 20 yard radius were the crowd. I appreciate it doesn’t fit the narrative on here that Watkins is crap but the attacking midfielders have to bear quite a bit of the blame for not getting near our lone striker on Saturday.

We also made Partey look like Cruyff. He had so much time on the ball.

Our most creative attacking threat came from two Cash runs.

All in all, very poor from the midfield, from both an attacking and defensive perspective.  To allow Saka the freedom of the park until confronted by our ageing left back is criminal. McGinn tightened up later but it drags Mings out as cover when he doesn’t do his job allowing their no.9 room.

Hopefully the international break will allow some reorganisation

I doubt that as we have a lot of players on international duty. I agree about Partey being given far too much time and space same goes for Saka. SG has a dilemma now though. We're unlikely to finish far from where we sit in the table now so it might be the right time to give some of our promising youth players a chance. Kesler looks excellent and there's a couple of young midfielders, Tim and Chuck, who could re-energise things because our current midfield is starting to look very vulnerable which the last two games have proven.

[simboy]

Yes, there’s certainly merit in getting to 40 points and playing a more youthful team, even if it’s for 25 minutes in the second half, perhaps start one or two. I hear good things about a lot of the former youth team, watched a few of the games live and streamed. A blending in at the as we move toward the future. It will allow those players to become fully part of the squad.

It’ll cause a melt down on here and other villa related sites if we lose a game or two thou … football fans in general are not known for their patience.

[eamonn]

I honestly can't see player-for-player that we shouldn't have been a match for Arsenal, apart from Saka but then we have Coutinho. I'd hope it's because Arteta has had a bit longer to coach them into shape or that Gerrard is still a bit wet behind the ears.

Odegard and Smith-Rowe's composure and ability on the ball versus our midfield is night and day, unfortunately. They look after it better, and move quicker with it.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

I honestly can't see player-for-player that we shouldn't have been a match for Arsenal, apart from Saka but then we have Coutinho. I'd hope it's because Arteta has had a bit longer to coach them into shape or that Gerrard is still a bit wet behind the ears.

Odegard and Smith-Rowe's composure and ability on the ball versus our midfield is night and day, unfortunately. They look after it better, and move quicker with it.

This.


Spot on!

[Hookeysmith]

After a few games this season Arsenal fans were screaming for Arteta to be sacked as they languished at the bottom of the table. He eventually found a formula that works for them and they have gone from strength to strength.

Odegard and Smith-Rowe's composure and ability on the ball versus our midfield is night and day, unfortunately. They look after it better, and move quicker with it.

Its no secret that you get the best players and they perform well - they even had the luxury of brining on Pepe who cost £70+m

I would be more worried if SG did not identify what was wrong and was attempting to put it right. He sussed out the need for a LB and other CH early enough and addressed it

I am sure he will sort the middle of the park also but from what i have seen i'm not sure Bissouma is the answer

[brontebilly]

Is it a bit of a worry that aswell as Ings/Watkins and Luiz/McGinn not working that Buendia/Coutinho don't seem a good fit together either? Coutinho was completely anonymous at the weekend. Seems like he prefers more of a free role behind the striker(s).

[Hookeysmith]

The elephant in the room is McGinn

Seemingly teachers pet due to his "personality" but simply not good enough to play every week without the slightest hint he might be dropped.

When he is at his 100 mph best he is a great player for this level  - when he is not at that level, or over reliant on his spin off players to look for the hollywood pass - he can be a liability.

Unfortunately he is more often the latter rather than the former

[brontebilly]

The elephant in the room is McGinn

Seemingly teachers pet due to his "personality" but simply not good enough to play every week without the slightest hint he might be dropped.

When he is at his 100 mph best he is a great player for this level  - when he is not at that level, or over reliant on his spin off players to look for the hollywood pass - he can be a liability.

Unfortunately he is more often the latter rather than the former

I think he would be a lot better further up the pitch. He can press very well and force mistakes like v Spurs last sesson. His technical limitations have been found out the longer he has played in a 2 or 3 at this level. He has become increasingly uncomfortable taking the ball on the half turn in our half, see that example v Arsenal just after half time when he lost it and nearly cost us a goal. I thought he turned like treacle that time in trying to get back too. His long passing from a deep area is abysmal but to be honest I don't think he wants to play it short and set a tempo. I think he's afraid of losing the ball in tight areas now so wants rid of it.

He has become a cause celebre but Sanson is a far more technically accomplished player. Maybe he could do with a bit more drive and aggression like what McGinn has but we can't keep ignoring a player who can comfortably take the ball on either foot. McGinn further up something like the below would help us, I think also he could help close the disconnect between midfield and striker. Ramsey is struggling a bit now too and Nakamba obviously out. So options are limited to be fair.

----------Luiz
Ramsey, Sanson
McGinn, Coutinho/Buendia
-------Ings/Watkins

[N'ZMAV]

Movement has been a huge issue with Villa players ever since I started going in 1994. The best teams move more and keep the ball. Two things we’ve never been good at. Arsenal did those things way better than us. Sadly.

[N'ZMAV]

Is it a bit of a worry that aswell as Ings/Watkins and Luiz/McGinn not working that Buendia/Coutinho don't seem a good fit together either? Coutinho was completely anonymous at the weekend. Seems like he prefers more of a free role behind the striker(s).

there’s no real combinations that work well in our team at the moment. Mings and Konsa worked well last season.