Aston Villa 1-0 Crystal Palace post match fat chewing

[paul_e]

It was a poor spectacle if you were after an entertaining game of football. I don't mind, as give me a turgid 1-0 win any time over an entertaining defeat, but while we controlled the game you couldn't really argue we're playing well.

We’re adapting to modern possession football for the first time in what seems like aeons so I’m willing to cut the players/Manager a bit of slack at the moment. During this period we’ll get some good and drudgy stuff in equal measure. But yes Saturday wasn’t eye bleedingly Bruce-esque but it wasn’t flowing Atkinson ball either.

I was about to write “Trust the Process” but realised that would make the worst type of wanker imaginable.

A wanker maybe, but a right wanker at least.

It sounds horrible and cynical but if you watch teams like Man City the first thing they try to do is take control of the game. You often hear about teams winning without getting out of first gear and Saturday was a perfect example of us doing that to a team, it was dull, we weren't at our best but we won and there was nothing lucky about the result. The next thing we need to do is start taking chances like the Watkins and McGinn ones and turning some of these routine wins into 3 or 4 goal beatings where we look like we can score another whenever we want to. I think we'll get there.

[Dante Lavelli]

Yep, Watkin’s miss, ironically having controlled it perfectly, would likely have been the springboard to a much more comfortable victory. 

Importantly we have scored two similar goals (the 2nd v arsenal and the OG) which suggests the tactics and patterns of play are starting to become second nature. We are no longer relying on individual brilliance or a set piece to score. I don’t think Gerrard, or even Smith, ever managed to have a signature goal during their tenure,s, so there is progress.

[Drummond]

I agree, I think we will too. It was one of the best 1-0 wins because I never felt like we were going to lose.

[Smithy]

I also think you have to say Palace played a big part in the type of game it was. This is a side that hasn't won a game in 2023, playing away from home, and clearly low on confidence.  It seemed their focus was very much "don't lose" rather than "do everything we can to win", and that's something we don't play against all that often.

[Risso]

We remain really bad when a team has a player sent off though!

[paul_e]

Yep, Watkin’s miss, ironically having controlled it perfectly, would likely have been the springboard to a much more comfortable victory. 

Importantly we have scored two similar goals (the 2nd v arsenal and the OG) which suggests the tactics and patterns of play are starting to become second nature. We are no longer relying on individual brilliance or a set piece to score. I don’t think Gerrard, or even Smith, ever managed to have a signature goal during their tenure,s, so there is progress.

The McGinn chance was similar as well, Bailey stayed wide so had to beat his man but it was another one where we created a gap between the full back and centre back (which is the signature bit of this) and used that space to create a chance to get a dangerous ball across goal.

[olaftab]

It was a poor spectacle if you were after an entertaining game of football. I don't mind, as give me a turgid 1-0 win any time over an entertaining defeat, but while we controlled the game you couldn't really argue we're playing well.

This. A few friends, including Arsenal supporters, said to me how well the Villa played against Arsenal and did not deserve to lose. Well that's bah humbug, really I would rather they were castigating us for being lucky so and so...

[Nii Lamptey]

Wasn't pretty, but you can see Emery slowly starting to construct a specific way of playing on the team - We have what seems like 'a plan' for the first time in eons!

It does get a little squeaky bum time at the back at times, but our goal against Palace came from that process. We'd have rolled over and got our belly tickled against this lot if we had either of the previous incumbents still in charge.

I'm loving it tbh. It will take a bit of time, but I'd wager that we'll win something with this fella in charge. He's managed to pull Watkins and McGinn back into form and turn us into a footballing team who have a plan (rather than relying on 'that bit of magic')....and even whilst the jury is still out on Cash for me, he has two assists in the last two games.

In Emery we trust. #UTV

[Percy McCarthy]

Yep, Watkin’s miss, ironically having controlled it perfectly, would likely have been the springboard to a much more comfortable victory. 

Importantly we have scored two similar goals (the 2nd v arsenal and the OG) which suggests the tactics and patterns of play are starting to become second nature. We are no longer relying on individual brilliance or a set piece to score. I don’t think Gerrard, or even Smith, ever managed to have a signature goal during their tenure,s, so there is progress.

The McGinn chance was similar as well, Bailey stayed wide so had to beat his man but it was another one where we created a gap between the full back and centre back (which is the signature bit of this) and used that space to create a chance to get a dangerous ball across goal.

There was another McGinn chance that came from the ball being played from back to front and ended with Digne putting the ball in for him. At the start of the move you could hear the impatience of the fans wanting us to lump it as we ‘pissed around with it’ at the back.

[paul_e]

Yep, Watkin’s miss, ironically having controlled it perfectly, would likely have been the springboard to a much more comfortable victory. 

Importantly we have scored two similar goals (the 2nd v arsenal and the OG) which suggests the tactics and patterns of play are starting to become second nature. We are no longer relying on individual brilliance or a set piece to score. I don’t think Gerrard, or even Smith, ever managed to have a signature goal during their tenure,s, so there is progress.

The McGinn chance was similar as well, Bailey stayed wide so had to beat his man but it was another one where we created a gap between the full back and centre back (which is the signature bit of this) and used that space to create a chance to get a dangerous ball across goal.

There was another McGinn chance that came from the ball being played from back to front and ended with Digne putting the ball in for him. At the start of the move you could hear the impatience of the fans wanting us to lump it as we ‘pissed around with it’ at the back.

Indeed, our plan is to isolate defenders (especially full backs) by drawing the midfield forward. It isn't working every time but you can see the plan. Most goals from open play, across the league, come from either defensive errors or from isolating a player and forcing him to pick between 2 bad options.

The goal on Sat their left back either pushed out wide and invited the through ball (which happened) or he tucks in and gives Cash the time and space to get to the line and get the cross in. Later he had the choice to push Bailey inside or down the wing, everyone knows you block the former so he did and Bailey roasted him on the outside and we really should've scored a 2nd. A good team will create moments like that every game and we're starting to get there, we need to be better with the final pass once we've created the opening and we need to take the chances more often but we're definitely on the right track.

[SamTheMouse]

There was one point where Kamara and Luiz were being pressed in our half, and I was wondering how they'd find a way out.

Someone else duly stepped up, think it was Mings, and they made a beautiful little triangle and passed it around four Palace players and through the press, putting us on the attack. I nearly came in my pants.

[eamonn]

Jizzing is forbidden at VP, Sam!

[tomd2103]

It was a poor spectacle if you were after an entertaining game of football. I don't mind, as give me a turgid 1-0 win any time over an entertaining defeat, but while we controlled the game you couldn't really argue we're playing well.

We’re adapting to modern possession football for the first time in what seems like aeons so I’m willing to cut the players/Manager a bit of slack at the moment. During this period we’ll get some good and drudgy stuff in equal measure. But yes Saturday wasn’t eye bleedingly Bruce-esque but it wasn’t flowing Atkinson ball either.

I was about to write “Trust the Process” but realised that would make the worst type of wanker imaginable.

A wanker maybe, but a right wanker at least.

It sounds horrible and cynical but if you watch teams like Man City the first thing they try to do is take control of the game. You often hear about teams winning without getting out of first gear and Saturday was a perfect example of us doing that to a team, it was dull, we weren't at our best but we won and there was nothing lucky about the result. The next thing we need to do is start taking chances like the Watkins and McGinn ones and turning some of these routine wins into 3 or 4 goal beatings where we look like we can score another whenever we want to. I think we'll get there.

Manchester City have top international players who are comfortable and good enough on the ball to play that way, but even they get caught out at times. 

You can see what Emery is trying to implement though and the returns have been good so far.  I can't say I find it enjoyable to watch at times, but accept that it is a work in progress.

[ChicagoLion]

the players have to take some responsibility for not moving it forward when there is a player available, we passed backwards unnecessarily so many times. Luiz and Cash were the biggest culprits.

[dcdavecollett]

I was surprised at some of the predictions on here (3-0, 4-1) for this game. I know that Palace were on a long winless run but they have drawn a lot of games and aren't easy to beat.

Having said that, if Ollie takes his big chance, it could have turned into a big win.