Aston Villa vs Stevenage Humiliation Post-Mortem

[Toronto Villa]

He played seasoned professionals and current internationals. He didn’t play a bunch of kids. That would justify the outrage. For me, the blame lies squarely with players who massively underperformed. This will be a red letter day for many of them as they won’t be part of our future.

That’s not the point though. By not playing his best XI he sent the wrong message and the game is about mentality more than attributes.

These are professional footballers. The manager shouldn’t have to play the same team week after week. And our strongest team doesn’t need to be the same team. It has to be the best required team for the given opponent. If we are to become anything of note in the future we absolutely need to use all of our squad and not the same XI. And this was Stevenage of league 2. Not Man City or Arsenal.

[Bermuda Villa]

The last 12 minutes was just so unprofessional, we had been poor but winning 1-0 .....the lack of game awareness in the 85th minute for so called experienced players is mind boggling.

Why does Olsen even make that pass to Dendoncker ?
Why does Dendoncker even think about making the turn rather than play back to the keeper ?
In both cases clear the fucking ball, they are probably not going to break us down in open play.
Nobody comes out to the corner taker then when Watkins finally wakes up he ambles out and turns his back, pathetic.
As for Olsen getting beat at the near post is anyone surprised ?

I am 59 and crave for us to win the FA Cup but its never going to happen when we do not take it seriously,  The overpaid players will just shrug it off while supporters will be hurting at what might have been for yet another year.

I think Emery is the man and will re-build us but needs time, he has had 6 games ...I just hope we see a procession of these players leaving the club with the new players looking like they give a shit buy hey this is the modern game where securing your premier league place matters more than actually trying to win one of the 3 trophies on offer.

[martyn ellis]

I'm afraid it was one of those 'We hammered them one-nil games for 87 minutes. We were never in any trouble (except for their off-side goal), had almost 80% of the ball and just missed out on the finishing (again). Then game the two 'howlers'. I was surprised he hooked Sanson, who was the best player on the pitch, but I guess that was to give Ramsey some match time - didn't work. Worse, we lost Cash and Agustinsson to what looked like bad injuries. No excuses, but sometimes it just doesn't go for you.

[Risso]

Gosh, it would be a massive shame if we didn't play Olsen in the cup games, and he got pissed off and wanted to leave. That wouldn't do, at all.

I am not a legal man but I am sure it would be written into the contracts. But thanks for the  condescending remark and resume your hounding of the manager with the best CV we have had in a generation.

Yep sure, a reserve keeper who wasn't wanted by Sheffield United had it written into his contract that he'd be guaranteed to start in cup games for us. Of course he did.

And nobody's hounding the manager, but people have got every right to be pissed off with that shambles today. He's built his career on cup runs rather than being particularly good in the league, and yet he's chucked both away this season for us at the first attempt.

[adrenachrome]

He played seasoned professionals and current internationals. He didn’t play a bunch of kids. That would justify the outrage. For me, the blame lies squarely with players who massively underperformed. This will be a red letter day for many of them as they won’t be part of our future.

That’s not the point though. By not playing his best XI he sent the wrong message and the game is about mentality more than attributes.

These are professional footballers. The manager shouldn’t have to play the same team week after week. And our strongest team doesn’t need to be the same team. It has to be the best required team for the given opponent. If we are to become anything of note in the future we absolutely need to use all of our squad and not the same XI. And this was Stevenage of league 2. Not Man City or Arsenal.

No doubt.

But you have to tell the players:

"Look here vous overpaid eejits, these boyos won't bother the high press bollox yous are used to. They will play a deep block of 5-4-1. No point fannying about at the back with fanny dangling trying to draw them in. Get it forward quickly by one means or another, preferably all means alternately, and crush their spirit early doors. Ya cuntz".

[SoccerHQ]

We're too ponderous.

I demand lightning quick players this window. And ones that have an end product.

I'm a bit tired of players like Bailey

Bailey was exactly that in the Bundesliga!

It should've been a top signing but world cup break came at the wrong time and he's looked sunday league standard since.

[TonyD]

Emi probably would have saved the pen as well as the second goal.   

[eamonn]

We've had 11 managers since we last won an FA Cup... Tie. Never mind the fucking trophy.

Apologies if I'm missing a joke but I count six even if you include Eric Black (which I don't normally)

Reverse order..
Emery
Danks
Gerrard
Smith
MacDonald
Bruce
Clarke
Di Matteo
Black
Garde
MacDonald
Sherwood

Wow!
What a stat that is.

Garde won an FA cup tie and you can't seriously count Clarke. Macdonald and Danks.

They've all been in charge, as manager /Head Coach, so of course they count.

Garde won a replay with Wycombe, I'd forgotten that. But he lost the next so that makes 10. I'd argue a technicality but there's no point. We've been garbage in the Cup since the semi final against Liverpool.

Yeah, but it's the type of stat Blose fans will Facebook and piss you off with.
How many FA Cup games did Danks, McDonald, Clarke, Di Matteo and Black preside over as manager of Villa? I'm guessing none.

[pauliewalnuts]

We're too ponderous.

I demand lightning quick players this window. And ones that have an end product.

I'm a bit tired of players like Bailey

Bailey was exactly that in the Bundesliga!

It should've been a top signing but world cup break came at the wrong time and he's looked sunday league standard since.

He wasn’t exactly Neymar before the World Cup break.

[Malandro]

I hope William didn’t watch ITV tonight.

[SoccerHQ]

Oh FFS are we still discussing the selection of Olsen??

As I said in another thread for about the past 10-15 years it is standard practice that when you try to sign a back-up 'keeper you have to promise them they will get minutes in the cups. No 'keeper wants to be a backup and those that end up as backups want guarantees around game time so they have a chance to push the number 1. We will have more than likely promised Olsen he would get cup games when we signed him. It's not a question of 'resting' Martinez or 'taking a look' at Olsen.

This is 2023 not 1993.

It's a trend that started in Spain and has crept over here in last 15 years. Emery won europa with Villareal with their number two in goal.

Only issue though is Olsen had two prem games over xmas so we could've balanced it out by giving Emi one of his designated games.

Since he's been available for selection again a world cup winning keeper has been on the bench for two of the three games.

At least now Martinez and Mings will be available for selection for every game left they're fit for so that is probably the last time we see Olsen in a Villa shirt.

[SoccerHQ]

We're too ponderous.

I demand lightning quick players this window. And ones that have an end product.

I'm a bit tired of players like Bailey

Bailey was exactly that in the Bundesliga!

It should've been a top signing but world cup break came at the wrong time and he's looked sunday league standard since.

He wasn’t exactly Neymar before the World Cup break.

He was starting to show what he was about though. Chelsea at home when we had that dominant spell he should've scored the header but he hit a wonderful cross that Ings headed straight at the keeper from six yards so should've had assist.

Brentford at home he scored and had two assists.

Newcastle was poor all round but I thought first half he was a threat.

Both Man. United games he was excellent.

So something to build on there but feels like that Liverpool game where he kept falling over when in good positions has impacted him even before the Wolves miss so he needs to be taken out now even if it means playing Ramsey as a wide midfielder.

We need to make some signings in final third soon.

[Rory]

I was cringeing at those behind me singing "Champions of Europe you'll never sing that" to feckin Stevenage!

Please tell me they weren't?

[adrenachrome]

I was cringeing at those behind me singing "Champions of Europe you'll never sing that" to feckin Stevenage!

Please tell me they weren't?

For the first time in many a long year, you could hardly hear them singing anything unless you were in close proximity.

[Rory]

I was cringeing at those behind me singing "Champions of Europe you'll never sing that" to feckin Stevenage!

Please tell me they weren't?

For the first time in many a long year, you could hardly hear them singing anything unless you were in close proximity.

Our fans can be very witty, but sometimes I do cringe.

I think the first time I felt that was early-00s when Sunderland brought about 3,000 to a midweek game, overall attendance was about 33,000, and some were singing 'empty seats, m'lord'.

Read the room, lads.