Aston Villa 0-2 Chelsea post match thread

[curiousorange]

Small beans, I know, but what exactly was the point in buying Dendoncker? Getting him in is like when councils start digging up the roads in March so they don't get less for their budget the next fiscal year.

[Legion]

He stays. 
We go down again.
Simple.

Chillingly true.

That or we will be perilously close and survive by the skin of our teeth relying on three teams to be even worse than the shitstorm of an omnishambles we currently are.

[SoccerHQ]

Despite losing via two goals which weren't just presented to the opposition but positively fucking gift-wrapped, the way we gave up after the second was inexcusable. Gerrard can't stop Mings and Emi looking like hung-over pub players, but he can be pro-active and change things up without waiting until the last 20 minutes. All the half-decent work in the first half for nowt. Oh, and Watkins is absolutely atrocious.

Potter realised Chelsea were very lucky to be leading at half time and made two subs and altered their shape.

How long before we get a manager who can do stuff like that?

I didn't look pre match, was Archer injured or dropped? We aren't using the 9 subs at all well. Gerrard seems content just to use it to cover every outfield position, do we really need all of Chambers, Bedanrek and the young CB there when Chambers can cover a few positions.

[Rory]

He stays. 
We go down again.
Simple.

Chillingly true.

That or we will be perilously close and survive by the skin of our teeth relying on three teams to be even worse than the shitstorm of an omnishambles we currently are.

Yep, with more than a quarter of the season gone we're on less than a point per game and we've played six of the nine other teams in the bottom half. It's well within the realms of possibility.

[SoccerHQ]

Describing Mings as "shit" is utter bollocks. The others can all play better under a better manager. Because they all have played better under better managers.

School boy defending today to gift them a goal when we were playing well. Cost us the match.

2nd one is a bit harsh, there isn't a CB around who hasn't misjudged a move and given away a free kick 25 yards out. And it still has to be scored. Koulibaly completely took out Ramsey a similar distance from goal about ten minutes earlier.

First goal was poor though. Mings never really plays well v Chelsea for whatever reason as he cost us goals in both fixtures last season and you can tell they studied that pre match and targeted him more than Konsa.

[PaulWinch again]

Fuck knows how we didn’t score today. Mings’ errors were fucking embarrassing.

The inability of us to score is quite remarkable.

[KevinGage]

Not sure if it was the European game midweek but Chelsea looked gassed first half.

Good sides (or even average ones) capitalise on that.

I'd rather not wait until we're on the end of a few drubbings for the penny to drop.

[paul_e]

Small beans, I know, but what exactly was the point in buying Dendoncker? Getting him in is like when councils start digging up the roads in March so they don't get less for their budget the next fiscal year.

I've said a few times, Palace and West Ham bullied us and I'm sure made Gerrard feel the need to add a big physical option in midfield. Unfortunately we'd left it so late that there were very few options so Dendoncker it is. Personally I don't think he was  aterrible signing for the cost, but I don't really understand what we want him to do when he comes on. Today he was pushing forward and leaving Luiz to sit in, which makes no sense at all.

[malckennedy]

It really pisses me off that the game finishes with a mood amongst Chelsea players, fans and commentators that this is another routine win. Reality is that they’ve got lucky.
Gerrard won’t get sacked on the strength of today. Nor should he.

No manager gets sacked on the strength of one game.

Of course. There is usually a match which is the tipping point though and my point was that I don’t think today was it. Nor should it  be.

[Ian.]

We've won 4 of our last 21 league games.

And when you throw in who we’ve played in those games that’s not got much to do with the squad but utter crap coaching and management.

[tomd2103]

Not long got back in from the game.  Started brightly, but then conceded thanks to a defensive howler.  Thought we we then really upped the intensity for the remainder of the first half and created a number of very good chances.

Potter made two changes at half-time which made them a bit more solid, but we were still well in the game.  The second goal was a killer blow and we just just looked deflated after that.  We lost shape when the subs came and never looked like getting back into at that point.

The clues are all there from that good period we had in the first half.  We actually played with some width in the final third and it created some space to exploit.  I'm still not sure what Ramsey and McGinn are being asked to do and think one of them could be sacrificed for Coutinho or Buendia, to give us that bit of additional quality in the final third.

[Goldenballs]

He stays. 
We go down again.
Simple.

Chillingly true.

That or we will be perilously close and survive by the skin of our teeth relying on three teams to be even worse than the shitstorm of an omnishambles we currently are.

Yep, with more than a quarter of the season gone we're on less than a point per game and we've played six of the nine other teams in the bottom half. It's well within the realms of possibility.

Quite worrying.

[GarTomas]

Small beans, I know, but what exactly was the point in buying Dendoncker? Getting him in is like when councils start digging up the roads in March so they don't get less for their budget the next fiscal year.

I've said a few times, Palace and West Ham bullied us and I'm sure made Gerrard feel the need to add a big physical option in midfield. Unfortunately we'd left it so late that there were very few options so Dendoncker it is. Personally I don't think he was  aterrible signing for the cost, but I don't really understand what we want him to do when he comes on. Today he was pushing forward and leaving Luiz to sit in, which makes no sense at all.

He’s the perfect player to sit in front of the back 4, can then drop to form a 3 as the full backs push on to provide width (as that seems to be the ‘tactics’ we are employing)

I assume as he’s a Lange type signing Gerrard doesn’t want to play him though.

Given Gerrard wants a possession based side why he doesn’t play Luiz further forward baffles me. Ramsey and McGinn are both players to either run with the ball or break which doesn’t lead itself to keeping possession.

[SoccerHQ]

Small beans, I know, but what exactly was the point in buying Dendoncker? Getting him in is like when councils start digging up the roads in March so they don't get less for their budget the next fiscal year.

Gerrard obviously assumed Luiz would be leaving either on last day or in January.

Given Luiz has signed up now and will be expecting endless starts, McGinn and Ramsey are automatic starters under this manager and Kamara will be back for December it does feel a pointless signing unless we switch formation.

Yet another bench warmer being given a nice pay rise in his career and for us to coach any ability he has out of him.

[Risso]

Small beans, I know, but what exactly was the point in buying Dendoncker? Getting him in is like when councils start digging up the roads in March so they don't get less for their budget the next fiscal year.

He looks like he’d be more suited to a donkey jacket and a hi-vis vest.