Aston Villa 2 The Arse 4 Post Match ah well what could have been thread

[steamer]

Great game if you are a neutral
I am not neutral, scrap the 4th goal as shit happens the defence is terrible, Ming's gift for one.
Two goals scored from outside the box at a set piece because nobody closing down on an unmarked player
When was the last time we conceded 8 goals in two home games
 

[Nii Lamptey]

We really need to calm down and take stock imo.

I witnessed a bloody good game of football, against a team fighting to win the league, where barring the individual errors, we went toe to toe with them and could have won it for the width of the goal bar.

Saw some comments on here re. the midfield. I thought they played pretty well - Kamara's best game in a while, definitely Coutinho's best, and I thought Ollie was excellent today.

Few points I'd make - Martinez needs to cut out the time wasting. Yes, it's fine with 10 mins to go when we're winning by a goal, but from the very minute we go in front, fuck off. We pay to watch a game of football, and all it does is break up the momentum (ours included) and get added on at the end and put us under pressure in Fergie time! And for a World Cup winning goalkeeper, his distribution is woeful.

Matty Cash - Defensively, thought he did ok today, but barring the lump up top for Ollie and the first goal, his distribution was horrendous.

Emery - Barring Bailey, the subs killed our performance. Ramsey as ineffective as he has been since Gerrard's first few games, Dendoncker - Was he even on the pitch??, Digne - Not a fan.

Keep the faith. It's still lightyears from what has been served up in recent times.  UTV

[Chris Harte]

Lucky, lucky Arsenal.

I preferred them when they were Borig, boring Arsenal.

[SoccerHQ]

Simple things like that short corner, sort it out and the third goal doesn't exist

Worrying thing is Arsenal had another short corner five minutes later and had a strike that got blocked so we don't even learn during the game.

[Skerra]

Martinez needs to stop this time wasting. All it does is to allow the opposition time to get their shape back.
Seems like I’ve been watching a different match again as I thought we were just about ok first half but, second half, it took about 15 minutes for us to get into their half. What’s with this narrow play of ours from our full backs? It was obvious they were going to play it out to their wingers very quickly and we were so slow to react. In the second half particularly, Arsenal looked like they could score every time they attacked us. Meanwhile, our build up was so slow and laboured. In addition, when they played out from the back, we had a huge gap in midfield and, they passed around us with ease. Just my view but I thought, on the total balance of play, they were worth the 2 goals they won by.
Another frustrating season of now trying to get a couple more wins before our players go off to the beach entirely.

[Dawson1963]

We cannot defend corners from the right  today an Stevenage.
Time wasting cost us. Duran will be a player.
Arsenal have one way of playing through Saka. So obvious but difficult to stop.
When Emery gets the players he wants we will be a decent team.

[astonvilla82]

Simple things like that short corner, sort it out and the third goal doesn't exist

Worrying thing is Arsenal had another short corner five minutes later and had a strike that got blocked so we don't even learn during the game.

as soon as they had the corner we were shouting to get across, that's piss poor a second time

[Taylor]

So disappointing today, but bloody hell, we play some great football at times. Our second was wonderful. Their third goal was a fluke, and without it, the forth doesn’t happen.

[astonvilla82]

Could anyone explain why we don't have a player near the half way line, surely you then need two arsenal players to mark him especially when we're under pressure late on

[martyn ellis]

I really can't believe some (the majority) of the comments on here. Having had two trains cancelled from Euston which meant having to go back home and watch in the pub, I was impressed with a lot of our play. The 3rd goal was just rank bad luck and the 4th doesn't really count. Other than that we were well in the game and deserved a draw against a very good team (the Arsenal fan in the pub agreed with me). There are some shortcomings in defence but Mings was unlucky that his clearance went straight to Saka and Emi M was terribly unlucky for their third. And as for his time-wasting, how did that affect the outcome of the game. We played some great stuff with some shortcomings in defence, but it's a work in progress.

[boozey182]

I thought we were decent today. Watkins excellent, everyone else pretty much played to their level (hopefully this is Ollie's new level, but that might be asking too much). We were a lick of paint (at each end) away from beating title contenders.

But three defeats on the trot isn't good enough for Aston Villa. There is now a lot more pressure on next week than there ever should be, no matter who we've just played. We need a result, otherwise a lot of (already strained) goodwill will disappear. I think we'll win, and then go on a bit of a run, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit twitchy about it.

[Mellin]

Difference in the game being their keeper tipped it on to the bar and our bar tipped it on to the keeper. Keep playing like that and we'll turn most sides in the league over and be fine. Fine is good as it will be this season.

Need a handful of upgrades in key positions, but think the squad is quite close actually.

15 games left and don't have to play either of the outstanding two teams in the league again.

[astonvilla82]

I really can't believe some (the majority) of the comments on here. Having had two trains cancelled from Euston which meant having to go back home and watch in the pub, I was impressed with a lot of our play. The 3rd goal was just rank bad luck and the 4th doesn't really count. Other than that we were well in the game and deserved a draw against a very good team (the Arsenal fan in the pub agreed with me). There are some shortcomings in defence but Mings was unlucky that his clearance went straight to Saka and Emi M was terribly unlucky for their third. And as for his time-wasting, how did that affect the outcome of the game. We played some great stuff with some shortcomings in defence, but it's a work in progress.

agreed

[Skerra]

Martyn, the problem is we have been a work in progress since about 1948!!

[Ian.]

"We want attacking football! Just entertain us!"

[turns out to be risky]

"Fock's sake Villa bunch of drips"

Look, it's not good enough, but we did just play the top two in the league and ran one of them right to the wire. If it's building towards something I can live with it. If it doesn't, well, we've been there before.

This is what happens when you expect different things from the same mostly shit team. Having a manager who could organise a defence would be nice though.

Who was our last one who could do that? Gregory?