Aston Villa vs Stevenage Humiliation Post-Mortem

[PeterWithesShin]

I think that 15 of the 16 that featured for us today have played full internationals. To struggle to create many worthwhile chances at home against a 4th division side is piss poor. Today smacked of us thinking we just had to turn up and would go through as we were very one paced. One of the very rare times we moved the ball with pace we scored.

[OzVilla]

Didn't see the game and certainly have no intention too and we can slate Emery all we like but...... that starting 11 should be more than comfortable to see off a side like Stevenage. 

Somehow, the club needs to get the message that these cup surrenders have gone on too long. These games are our only chance of winning something which is kind of the whole point of it all. So they can say what they like on Instagram but until the players take these games seriously this will keep happening, like it has done for long enough already. 

A donation of all players involved weekly wages to a local charity would be a decent start at showing some contrition - I wont be holding my breath.

[Villafirst]

I've mentioned it previously, but why did they push Archer out on loan so early in this transfer window? This was an ideal game to give him 90 minutes. That said, the players whole attitude in this game was shocking. Pedestrian football for large parts of the game was excruciating to watch.

[rob_bridge]

Still seething - no excuse for that unprofessional shite

[cdward]

Do modern players even care anymore? This way they get extra time off and still get paid. I know a lot of people at work who would think the same. Why work harder for no extra reward?
Also, what was the Sanson celebration about? Was he having a dig at someone or just having a word with himself.
I noticed a couple of the players on the bench Young and Cash i think doing the same gesture after he scored and smiling/laughing.
What a shit record of not winning an FA Cup game for 7 years! FFS

[bob]

They clearly don't really care. It's just the cup. A bit of a laugh. A little training game that they don't have to try too hard in.

Should the manager ensure they have a better attitude? I'd hope so.

Thing is we'd still have won if it wasn't for the joke of a keeper.

[The Edge]

We are not going to win the league or finish top four any time soon. We really should be throwing everything at cup competitions which is our only chance of success. Can someone please pass this on to our owners?

[Drummond]

They clearly don't really care. It's just the cup. A bit of a laugh. A little training game that they don't have to try too hard in.

Should the manager ensure they have a better attitude? I'd hope so.

Thing is we'd still have won if it wasn't for the joke of a keeper.

Nah, it's not his fault we lost, we weren't good enough anywhere on the pitch.

[London Villan]

Our squad should be set up to play 45 to 50 games per season to take into account cup competitions. We’re never going to win the league so the cups really should take a much more significant role in how we approach each season. It could even be that the bonuses for cup wins are even greater than league matches to act as an incentive  to players, but something has to change.

[Beard82]

Realistically the cups are probably the easiest way to get into Europe

I am ok with the selection - I think it was pretty strong - and these experienced players should be able to do it.  In the cold light of day

Never play for our club again
Olsen
LB guy from Sweden
CB from Southampton

Need to seriously improve by the end of the season
Phil
Cash
Bailey
Watkins
Ings
Emi 10
Digne
Dendoker

Business since Grealish left has been very poor and shown no strategy

[ChicagoLion]

Realistically the cups are probably the easiest way to get into Europe

I am ok with the selection - I think it was pretty strong - and these experienced players should be able to do it.  In the cold light of day

Never play for our club again
Olsen
LB guy from Sweden
CB from Southampton

Need to seriously improve by the end of the season
Phil
Cash
Bailey
Watkins
Ings
Emi 10
Digne
Dendoker

Business since Grealish left has been very poor and shown no strategy

I would be ok losing the 8 you say should improve.

[chrisw1]

The selection wasn't that ridiculous, most of those players have plenty of first team minutes for Villa and several were involved in the Spurs win.

Our problem is we just don't have the guile to break down a low block.  There seemed to be very little moveent, Ings had all but given up making runs in the second half and if he did get the ball he was surrounded by four players.  When we did get in a crossing position more often than not it was lofted in for a line op of giant Stevenage defenders to easily mop up.

To his credit Bailey did continue running, constantly making runs and looking for space.  The propblem with him is when he did get the ball he seemed to be trying too hard and invariably lost it cheaply.  He seems to have lost his pace and his confidence, but I give him some credit for sticking at it.

When the game is that compressed I'm not sure why we don't mix it up a bit more with more width and at times when we did draw them out not break with more pace and numbers.

It really was a poor performance, but we're out because of individual errors really.

[Walmley_Villa]

As my lad said to me post-match, a large number of that "team" won't play for us again this season. This was there chance to shine.

For some reasons when we play our so-called second string at home in cup games they are a disjointed and passive mess. There is something culturally missing...

My view is, when not in Europe there are 3 trophies to play for, we aren't winning the league or getting top 4 so may as well go for it in the cups.

[django]

I thought it was an interesting insight into the psychology of a team of players who knew they were comfortably better than their opponents.

All the extra touches, turns, flicks that our players were making were presumably them trying to give a good account of themselves personally and avoid embarrassment, but it slowed the game down so much that it allowed Stevenage to get everybody back.

We didn’t have a player on either wing who could go outside and put a cross in so everyone was trying to play through the most congested penalty area I’ve ever seen. So the last thing we needed was to move the ball so slowly.

It was notable that for a few minutes after half time we seemed to move the ball a bit quicker and looked a bit better. Then reverted to slowing things down too much.

For me it confirms that we have too few players who are prepared to take risks, more worried about potentially giving the ball away or getting robbed of the ball (as dendonker ultimately was) than moving the ball quickly and being more effective as a team. I think it’s a problem that happens from making too many changes, with lots of players looking to make an impression and not mess up, so to that extent Emery shares some of the blame, (although the team we put out should have been more than capable of beating Stevenage.)

It also highlights a problem with our players in game management. They’re not kids, that’s not the first game they’ve played against lower league players who sit in, the solutions should be hard wired into them by this stage of their careers.

For me, as much as Buendia frustrates by giving the ball away, he at least seems to be prepared to take risks. Ings didn’t really get any service. Everyone else revealed why they’re probably never going to be up to it at the level we want to aim for.

[RichardBatchelor]

ftp://

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.

Then neither Villa, nor any other mid-table side, will ever win the Cup. Bollocks to that culture. I'm sure he's a nice bloke and I wish him every happiness and success in his life, but I don't care about Olsen's game time issues at Villa. Emi plays yesterday, 95% the goals don't happen.