Aston Villa V Everton Post Match Thread.

[olaftab]

It's too early to tell, we've played two of the worst sides in the division and lost one and nearly dropped another 2 points but for a fantastic challenge by Mings. Until we create more on a consistent basis it's going to be a struggle, pretty sure it was 4 shots we had in the opening 70 minutes today. Against a side I think could well go down. We need Buendia starting and carrying on with his good form.

Just about sums it up for me.

[olaftab]

Not sure there was a stand out man of the match but I thought Kamara, Mings and Carlos were all solid. Also thought Watkins had a good game.

I thought other than getting done by the Everton player in the last few minutes, Cash had a fantastic game.

He did and a lot of the time he swept up for Carlos as well.

[Beard82]

I think, particularly when emi came on, we showed signs of nearly clicking.

The squad is good and the Kamara is likely to become a key player for us very quickly.

The difficulty is how we can find a way to make it click - I thought ings looked much better for having Watkins with him - but Watkins just doesn’t suit the way we play - whenever he has time to think it normally goes wrong.

Added into that  it keeps Bailey and EMI on the bench - it’s a really difficult one to solve with what we have.

It still feels like a really good Center Forward and a really good midfielder are needed but I am not convinced any that there are clear upgrades that will come. 

Without Emi2 on we look way to static and lack drive (although I thought JJ gave us a bit of that yesterday)

Overall much better - but with tougher tests to come some of these questions need to be answered sooner rather than later

[PeterWithe]

Just reading the thread in its entirety, I thought that’s the best McGinn has been for a long time, energetic, aggressive, supportive of the full back and progressed the ball forward nearly every time.

I thought he might have been the one to most struggle in the heat but far from it. Cometh the hour….

[Chris Smith]

Two weeks in a row we have played teams that worked hard on denying us space and with limited attacking ambition of their own. We dealt with it much better yesterday. Our full backs couldn’t get forward as there was no room so our best moments came with winning the ball and moving it forward quickly before they had chance to reset. Buendia livened things up when he came on and the second goal seemed inevitable. Just a shame we seemed to panic and made the last few minutes far more nervy that it needed to be.

[caster troy]

A good win under pressure with some big positives. Kamara just looks class already, having someone with his ability to break up play and also distribute well is going to be such an asset. Looks like an unbelievable signing, so good I'm already worrying about a possible release clause.

In the first half we really struggled to create anything, I really don't understand what we are trying to achieve with this formation. It looks wrong to me having Ramsey between Mings and Digne on the left, with Coutinho and sometimes also Ings then drifting out there. We have these 'keep ball' passages of play out wide seemingly to try to get an overlap, but then if we are successful and get a cross in there is no one in the box to get on the end of it. Call me old fashioned but what sort of career would David Platt have had if he'd been playing JJ's role in this system?

We did look better when Buendia came on, he really has to start. Watkins did well with the two assists but continues to frustrate me. There was one occasion in the first half where he did brilliantly to control a pass fired in at head height, but then his touch lets him down badly on the big chance to make it 3-1. There has been talk of a finishing coach, but I think the problem is more to do with composure on that first touch when it is a goalscoring chance for himself. Hopefully he can improve that part of his game this season.

[PeterWithe]

As much as I like Buendia (and admit I was wrong about him) I think SG might be playing this just right, he’s coming on when the games a little more open, opposition players are a little more tired and he’s making a massive difference. And surely his performances off the bench will spur Phil on to an improvement in form?

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

Similar to Bournemouth in that we had a lot of possession without actually creating much, obviously the goal made a massive difference and showed the best aspects of McGinn, Watkins and Ings.

Coutinho very limited impact and we simply have to get more from him if Gerrard is insisting he plays. Potentially it looks like an injury could force the inclusion of Buendia who was very lively, made a difference and has been unfortunate not to start the season in the first 11.

Ramsey played well with some strong runs but it’s still an issue with him and McGinn being on the wrong side.

Any news on Carlos as he was pretty good but perhaps should have done better with that header right as the start of the game?

[Clampy]

Good win and very enjoyable to watch at times. We made it hard for ourselves in typical Villa fashion in the last few minutes though.  Coutinho was quiet but I thought everyone else played pretty well. I quite liked what I saw of Kamara. I thinks he's going to be very good.

[oldhill_avfc]

Similar to Bournemouth in that we had a lot of possession without actually creating much, obviously the goal made a massive difference and showed the best aspects of McGinn, Watkins and Ings.

Coutinho very limited impact and we simply have to get more from him if Gerrard is insisting he plays. Potentially it looks like an injury could force the inclusion of Buendia who was very lively, made a difference and has been unfortunate not to start the season in the first 11.

Ramsey played well with some strong runs but it’s still an issue with him and McGinn being on the wrong side.

Any news on Carlos as he was pretty good but perhaps should have done better with that header right as the start of the game?

And their goal….. and marking on the corners

[RamboandBruno]

I think the expectation levels are maybe higher now than in previous generations, whilst the league is probably tougher and more a closed shop in terms of the top 4-6 positions than it has ever been. Look at our best two league sides since we won the league, 89-90, we’d just survived relegation by the skin of our teeth the season before, and then got off to a really average start, with lots of draws mixed with a couple of wins and two or three defeats before things started to click with both the system Taylor employed and the players sometime in mid to late September. Likewise in 92-93 under BFR, there was a very similar pattern until we signed Saunders in mid September.

Im not for a minute comparing the current team or set of players with those teams and i wouldn’t be offensive enough to compare the current manager with those Villa legends. The point I’m making is good teams sometimes take time to click and gel. Kamara looks quality, but it will take time for the midfield to start operating as a unit, there were signs yesterday of that starting to work, albeit slowly. We need to work out how to get the best out of Coutinhio and how to get the brilliant Emi B in the team.
Watkins and Ings worked well together yesterday, but Watkins has to score that chance to make it 3-1, is it confidence or ability. Maybe we need that one extra attack minded signing that will help things to click.
I also don’t think because Everton look poor that we have the right to steam roller them, we won and it would of been very comfortable if that freakish goal hadn’t  gone in and Digne had swung at it with his right foot.
We’re still finding our way into the season and i think there are the makings of a good team here.

[Risso]

There was everything that is good and bad about Watkins yesterday. Tireless running, but when clear through on goal, he mucks it up, as he often does.

[DB]

Watkins is a dilemma, as y-day showed he can make game changing contributions, but again showed his lack of finishing and consistency. Great 1-2 for the goal, but had a couple of chances to finish them off. The ‘cross’ he put in to hit the Everton 1st player was woeful and poor finishing for another. He also takes too long on the ball. Really not sure is he is good enough.

[LeeB]

There was everything that is good and bad about Watkins yesterday. Tireless running, but when clear through on goal, he mucks it up, as he often does.

You did immediately spring to mind when he controlled that long ball brilliantly with his head in the first few minutes. I give him a break with that chance near the end as he'd gone up and down the pitch about three times without stopping before it came to him.

He was excellent yesterday, no ifs or buts for me.

[Clampy]

He had a very good game for a so called championship trier.