Manchester United vs Aston Villa Post-Match Analysis

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

Met a couple of Man U fans before the game who were colleagues of my mate who I went with, they were pleased that we changed the team so much from Sunday, especially Bailey, whereas we were a little disappointed with the line up.
It’s been said but if he just kept Martinez in that would have been the difference. We’ve got a second choice keeper who is an established international with 60 odd caps he really should be capable of coming in and performing to the required standard. It’s frustrating as he made a great save down to his left from Rat Face. I’ve not seen any of it back but then struggled with a couple of loopy high balls, gave the ball away for the third and should have came for the admittedly good cross for the fourth.
I enjoyed the game and atmosphere and took some positives from it but it’s galling when you knew the results from the earlier games and the proceeding draw.

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

I’m just about to listen to The Villa Podcast, I’m sure they’ll have a funny take on last nights game. If you can’t laugh….

[LeeB]

I’m just about to listen to The Villa Podcast, I’m sure they’ll have a funny take on last nights game. If you can’t laugh….

The word 'c*nt' is going to feature heavily I feel

[CT Villan]

UE is clearly prioritizing escaping the relegation zone right now and I don't have a problem with that. I think had we been 6+ points clear of the bottom 3 we would have seen a different team selected. The positive is now he knows a lot more about the strength of his squad and what needs to happen in the January transfer window. As disappointing as the result (and the manner of the defeat) was I like that he appears to be thinking longer term.

[ChicagoLion]

The line up was an unnecessary risk and it is disappointing that he went with Olsen + Watkins and Ings together
I  hope this is the last time we see that goalkeeper and or those 2 start together.
It’s a shame as this has taken the edge of a wonderful start for UE.
A new dawn fades.

[AV82EC]

A nice Cup night out even though the result didn’t go our way. Scores on the doors

Olsen - 3 - despite looking relatively ok for the first 60 minutes, he seemed to have a meltdown once they got back to 2-2 and his play with the ball at his feet was woeful throughout the game.
Young - 7 - tired badly after his knock but one of our better performers.
Konsa - 5 oh dear, back to his flaky form and missed having Mings alongside him
Chambers - 5 seemed ok ish but seemed to lose the plot late on.
Augustinsson - 3 quite patently not good enough, positionally Ill disciplined and as slow as a snail.
Kamara - 7 good game but tired badly in the last 20 minutes.
Luiz - 7 another good game but another who tired as the game progressed
McGinn - 5 a bit of a meh performance, he was there but not really influencing or impacting the game.
Ramsey - 7 - some good moments
Watkins - 7 - good performance until he missed the chance at 2-2 a bit anonymous after that.
Ings - 4 anonymous

Mings - 5 could maybe have done better for the 2nd/4th but I’d put others more at fault.
Buendia - 6 not really involved that much but some nice progressive play when he was involved
Bailey - 7.5 - a threat when he came on and the beating of about 6 men and the chance laid on for Watkins was worth the entrance fee on its own.
Cash/Digne - 5 not much to report other than too late to make a difference.

Emery - 6 probably one or two changes too many in the starting line up but we weren’t seriously troubled until they equalised and then still seemed to have the measure of them for 20 minutes or so. I think he learned more about his squad than he maybe wanted to tonight and it’s disappointing to go out but felt he didn’t react quick enough to Ten Haag changing his formation to stifle us playing out from the back. Of course he can’t be blamed for the players individual mistakes.

All in all a little bit sobering and the feeling of an opportunity missed after the joy of Sunday but we’re trying to play a more possession and structured game and after two games that’s readily apparent.

[cdbearsfan]

At 2-2, it was a case of next goal wins it. Unfortunately it wasn't us.

At 1-2, it was a case of next goal wins it.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

I'm not going to slate UE as I think he is a brilliant appointment for us medium to long term, but I do feel that his selection last night was:
1. extremely naive, to make so many changes and include so many fringe players, and expect a similar outcome to Sunday?
2. equally naive, to "have a look" at the fringe players to see how they perform in a proper game, to help choose a side for Brighton. Was he really prepared this to happen and sacrifice the game in the process? Maybe.

Before the game I was hoping he would make as few changes as possible...take advantage of a wounded ManU, keep a winning mentality among the first choices, build momentum for Brighton. As last Sunday, bring subs on as appropriate....one more game and he has about 6 weeks to let first choicers have a rest and look at the fringe players, decide where we need to strengthen.
After Sunday he may have thought 2 or 3 key acquisitions; after last night more like 15!
UTFV!

[Richard]

First game I've seen in person since Man U at home in January and first away since Wigan in the Championship.

So firstly thought the atmosphere was great although they were typically library like until they scored their 3rd. Nice to see so many kids in the Villa end, and none of the rumoured coke heads that apparently turn up for the league games. Maybe the much larger allocation helped.

Secondly, first half was a terrible game, but largely enjoyed the second until the cock ups. Watkins showed how good he could be and then how bad. Bailey terrified them when he came on. Olsen and the playing out from the back, enough said!

Think Emery will sort it long term.

[martyn ellis]

The team: Emery picked Ramsey, Watkins, Ashley, Konsa, Kamara, Douglas Luiz, all of whom have played well recently (except Kamara our 'marquee' signing on his way back from injury and who needs game time).
of the others, ings was once again anonymous (but he and Ollie seemed to work against Brentford); Olsen, an experienced international who showed he just isn't good enough as a back-up; Chambers, who people have been crying out for as a better choice than Konsa, but who had an unexpectedly poor game yesterday, Augustinsson, another international Emery needed to see, and McGinn whose form has dipped but who he obviously wanted to see under his newmanagement (didn't work).
My point is I don't think it was such a bad team on paper - my reservations would be Olsen (retrospectively, but it's what a lot of managers do for the cups), not starting Bailey, although maybe Sunday was on emery's mind; but apart from that not a bad side. Then he brought on some strong subs to change the game. If you take away Olsen's awful pass out followed by the Mings deflection for their 3rd, the complete switch-off following our first goal, Watkins' mis-control after Bailey's trickery when he should have scored, and even Olsen sticking to his line for their 4th, we quite possibly could have won the game. Lots of ifs and buts and some might say that's clutching at straws, but my view is we threw the game away as opposed to being well-beaten (which Sky seemed to think we were).

[Risso]

I think they could have had another 2-3 goals quite easily. McTominay hit the post with a really good shot, and Slabhead should have scored with a header. The only thing you can say about the first half was that they were just as bad as we were. Second half from 60 minutes, they blew us away.

[Skerra]

What I don’t get is why do managers look at videos of past matches? You don’t need to see players like Olsen in the flesh to know he never leaves his line so allows opposition attacks to flourish? In addition, bearing in mind there was only one match left, after this one, keep the team morale high by continuing to win matches.
UE will undoubtedly prove to be a good manager but last night’s selection was a cock up. If we had won last night, the players would have been on a high going into the Brighton game, now I’m not so sure.

[brontebilly]

The team: Emery picked Ramsey, Watkins, Ashley, Konsa, Kamara, Douglas Luiz, all of whom have played well recently (except Kamara our 'marquee' signing on his way back from injury and who needs game time).
of the others, ings was once again anonymous (but he and Ollie seemed to work against Brentford); Olsen, an experienced international who showed he just isn't good enough as a back-up; Chambers, who people have been crying out for as a better choice than Konsa, but who had an unexpectedly poor game yesterday, Augustinsson, another international Emery needed to see, and McGinn whose form has dipped but who he obviously wanted to see under his newmanagement (didn't work).
My point is I don't think it was such a bad team on paper - my reservations would be Olsen (retrospectively, but it's what a lot of managers do for the cups), not starting Bailey, although maybe Sunday was on emery's mind; but apart from that not a bad side. Then he brought on some strong subs to change the game. If you take away Olsen's awful pass out followed by the Mings deflection for their 3rd, the complete switch-off following our first goal, Watkins' mis-control after Bailey's trickery when he should have scored, and even Olsen sticking to his line for their 4th, we quite possibly could have won the game. Lots of ifs and buts and some might say that's clutching at straws, but my view is we threw the game away as opposed to being well-beaten (which Sky seemed to think we were).

Don't think there was any need for selecting Augustinson (who looks incredibly average) when Digne has missed a lot of games lately and could have done with the run out. I don't think Emery needed to gamble with Olsen either, I'm sure he has seen a recording of his "performance" v Newcastle a few weeks back which confirmed he is nowhere near PL standard. Ings/Watkins again away from home, Gerrard would have been slated for it so Emery should be immune to criticism. It didn't work unsurprisingly.

I'd have had no issue if likes of Sanson and Archer had got game time. Surprised they didn't.

[Nelly]

When Watkins missed that chance at 2-2, after Bailey had taken on half the Man U team and put him through, I sort of knew. I was bewildered by the goal he scored. Momentarily possessed by a footballer.

Kamara clearly and understandably tired, our subs didn't get up to speed with the game and we just defaulted to play like fodder again.

I'm glad Emery picked who he did. At least now he knows what he's got to work with, who he can rely on, etc.

[Drummond]

It’s standard practice for PL managers to play their second keeper in cup games. For Emery who only really has these three games to assess what he might need in January it was pretty much forced on him.

You can get away with it if you've got two players like Kepa and Mendy. He wasn't forced into anything, and evaluating the second choice keeper, who anybody could have told him was shit, wasn't as important as trying to progress in a cup competition.

I think it’s legitimate for him to make his own assessment of players but we obviously have a difference of opinion on this that we aren’t going to resolve so no point going back and forth over it.

I think it's legitimate too, but I can't say that when I saw the teamsheet with him on my heart didn't sink.

I saw Olsen and Augustinsson on it and switched my phone off.