Legia Warsaw vs Aston Villa post match thread.

[j66acd]

I’m going to sound like Souness, but the pitch was terrible. Didn’t suit us at all as we are used to a moist & slick surface and the pitch in Walsall had more bobbles on than a well worn Asics shirt from the 90’s. That being said, Legia dealt with it perfectly and did what they needed to.

[tomd2103]

The one plus tonight was Duran. I was surprised he was subbed but that’s 5 for him this season and he deserves a start in the league.

Just the way they talk about him, I feel like he's not a 90 minute player. Hopefully that's just a matter of building him up bit by bit.

Thought he did OK and looked a bit unhappy to be taken off. 

It was a brainless performance all round really.  Goodness knows how many times we needlessly gave the ball away tonight.  That coupled with a defensive horror show made it a night to forget.

[PaulWinch again]

Not blaming Legia for this, if anything it was smart, but they really milked any break in play. It was insufferably slow in the second half.

[JUAN PABLO]

Did Watkins actually touch the ball?

once and couldnt control it

[ASHTONVILLA]

A lot of focus has been on the rotated players, but there were some stinking performances from supposed first team regulars today too.

Kamara has been dreadful all season and deserves to be dropped, as does Digne now Moreno is back.

The positives for me were Duran and Zaniolo who both put in reasonable performances.

I think the back four might have worked better if Konsa had started at right back where he has played well this season, and Chambers had played in the middle where he has more experience.

I don't think we can blame the team selection though, as like at Stevenage last season the players picked should have been good enough to get a better result.

[SoccerHQ]

Yep little to take from that. For first time under Emery we looked a Gerrard type team v moderate opposition (who played their hearts out so fair play to Legia).

I was surprised with so many changes. Chelsea is a big game but nothing is won or lost by not winning a prem game in September. Don't really understand resting Pau who compared to the prem is very comfortable in this environment and you'd have thought Cash would've been starting given this game was in Poland.

Think UE called that wrong, Chambers was a disaster and it was too late bringing on the big hitters.

A very complacent start, at least this wasn't a knock out game and we still have five more chances to put tonight right.

[aev]

Bailey faffing about rolling on the ground with about 5 mins to go for an injury.

He obviously likes the feel of the physio’s sponge….

[ChicagoLion]

Didn’t look like the players were that interested in this competition.

[Matt C]

Lots that could be dissected from that but I’ll settle for them playing it like it was the last game of their life and us treating it like a friendly. Plenty of time in the group to turn it around but we’ll need to do much, much better.

[JUAN PABLO]

Lucas Digne was truly awful .    The sooner Moreno is back the better .

[PaulWinch again]

Didn’t look like the players were that interested in this competition.

Maybe but I think that’s probably projecting. I think it’s more that the balance just isn’t right at the moment - see the Newcastle, Liverpool games as well.

[Clark W Griswold]

It was a mess wasn’t it?

I thought the starting line up would have been good enough to get a result but looking at it with hindsight (easy to do after I know) but I would have thought Cash rather than Chambers with Luiz and Dendonkar central mid and Tielemans in the Ramsey role. Kamara, Zaniola and Chambers on the bench. I think we’d have had a better balance in defence and been more competitive in midfield with better overall ball retention. We could have swapped Tielemans for Ramsey or Zaniola later on and Bailey for Diaby.

I didn’t see the point in bringing Duran off, he was the one bright spot. The team didn’t get the ball to him much but when he was involved he looked a threat.

[langleylions]

the managers thinking on team selection just doesnt make sense , why play watkins against hibs and the rest him in a bigger game tonight ? , why has moreno had no minutes at all in last 2 games , baffling

[brontebilly]

why is everybody suprised by tonight , in the words of one of our own players ....." its only conference league " .....says it all about how arrogant our players are !!     if it was from a champions league vet i could maybe understand it ffs

Arrogance reeked off our players tonight, even Luiz, after someone didn't run for one of his passes, had a proper Bruno Fernandes esque tantrum while Legia ran past him on the counter.

Ratings
Martinez 5 - should have saved third and lucky not to have given away a fourth
Chambers 3 - average CB playing RB, if Cash gets injured we are screwed, nowhere for their second, in hindsight we should have gone with 3 CBs
Konsa 5 - follower not a leader, we were all over place at back and as the senior player he should have put it right
Lenglet 3 - rubbish player, Pau Torres lite, physically weak and incredibly slow, awful for their second
Digne 4 - asleep for first goal, fortunate deflection for his goal, very average defender and we need Moreno back asap
Kamara 4 - awful, didn't hold position at all, poor with ball, no resistance for first goal
Tielemans 4 - no intensity to his game again with and without ball. 90 min game will hopefully bring on his match fitness as he's miles off it
Bailey 5 - few decent things but in the main the same defeated body language and easily held
Zaniolo 5 - unbelievable shot for first goal but he's lost in this system, either he plays up front or not at all. Already seems an odd fit for us
McGinn 4 - anonymous really but our shape was all over the place
Duran 7 - did well to finish goal and was an exceptional turn for what seemed like a penalty, lively 60 mins

Subs - late cavalry charge should have resulted in an equaliser. Cash made a big difference, good to see Ramsey back but Watkins was awful. Diaby and Luiz only ok.

[Bad English]

Didn’t look like the players were that interested in this competition.

"But most of all we have a lot of players who desperately want to do well in Europe.”


Source: Cash: 'We're desperate to do well in Europe'