Aston Villa v HŠK Zrinjski Mostar Post-Match Thread

[rougegorge]

I'm so relieved we won, but I just don't get why we started with that line up.

All it did was slow our play down and it gave them some belief to dig in and time waste and throw their bodies on the line. Also, we didn't make them expend enough energy.

If we had played with the second half team in the first half, I can't be certain we would have been ahead, but it's likely that we wouldn't have been so stressed watching in the stands let alone the players who had to come on to sort out a mess.

[Bad English]

Some of the comments about Tielemans in the match thread

It's the match thread though.

and? You seem to get really worked up if anyone comments on the match thread but it go so bad that someone who wasn't watching had to ask what he'd done when a misplaced pass resulted in 5 people calling him shit, it's just fucking silly when it gets to that.

Do I Paul? Get worked up? Don't think so. Wasn't even on the match thread. It amuses me that YOU get worked up because people use the match thread to be OTT. You've missed the point once again.

[AV84]

If everyone's on 3 points it's almost like starting again from day 1. So not the worst place to be.

We managed to dig ourselves out of a very large, embarrassing hole, right at the death.

I hope we learn something from tonight.

I'm not blaming injuries for it, because some players just aren't performing when given the opportunity, but I think it's very clear at this point that with the injuries we don't have the squad to rotate more than a couple of players.

[VillaTim]

Bailey was wretched and Tielemans not much better. Dendonker is not what we need

[pauliewalnuts]

If everyone's on 3 points it's almost like starting again from day 1. So not the worst place to be.

We managed to dig ourselves out of a very large, embarrassing hole, right at the death.

I hope we learn something from tonight.

I'm not blaming injuries for it, because some players just aren't performing when given the opportunity, but I think it's very clear at this point that with the injuries we don't have the squad to rotate more than a couple of players.

I don't disagree.

Unfortunately, we are going to have to rotate quite a lot.

What we need to get better at is who we rotate, and when, because on the basis of that first half, too much rotation and we go to pieces.

[Bad English]

It was indeed disappointing that our squad players couldn't put the game to bed and let our main players have a rest and light run out at the end.

[olaftab]

75%
27/9 shots v 3/1
15 corners v 0

Just got home, nice easy journey tonight. My take it whilst it was difficult to break them down and Unai needs to find a way to sort out stubborn teams we were far far better than them. They offered nothing other than hard work and honest endeavour. We will easily beat them at their place and that's 6 points.

[Beard82]

Bailey was wretched and Tielemans not much better. Dendonker is not what we need

Dendonker  - the biggest complement you can pay to a defensive midfielder is you don't notice there playing.  Unfortunately, Dendonker doesn't notice he's playing either.

[Villan For Life]

We are a work in progress, our first choice 11 are a very good team, our rotated 11 are bang average. As we grow and become more successful then our rotated 11 will improve with better squad signings plus youth team players.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Some of the comments about Tielemans in the match thread

It's the match thread though.

and? You seem to get really worked up if anyone comments on the match thread but it go so bad that someone who wasn't watching had to ask what he'd done when a misplaced pass resulted in 5 people calling him shit, it's just fucking silly when it gets to that.

Tielemans was wank.

No he wasn’t. He wasn’t great and clearly needs to improve, but in that second half there were signs of him finding his way back.

That may be the case but he gave away more passes tonight than SJM did last season when he had a shit spell. It could have cost us multiple times. Plus, what's happening to his shooting? It was his one special skill I have been looking forward to seeing since he joined us.

101 passes attempted, 85 completed so 84%. McGinn was at 60-65% at the start of last season. 4 shots, 2 on target and 1 blocked.

Thanks, Mr Logic. Allow me to slightly exaggerate to make a valid point. You may think tonight was his best performance for us. I'd say it was Walsall pre-seaon. Tonight at times he was a liability despite his 84% pass completion, it was the 16% that could have lost us the game. He wasn't alone tonight, there's a few that aren't won't be knocking on Emery's door in the immediate future.

[VillaTim]

Bailey was wretched and Tielemans not much better. Dendonker is not what we need

Dendonker  - the biggest complement you can pay to a defensive midfielder is you don't notice there playing.  Unfortunately, Dendonker doesn't notice he's playing either.

Always looks like he's moving in slow motion

[Paul.S]

Made hard work of it but it’s 3 points.
Tielemans struggling massively again the central midfield area was all over the place in the first half. He has to step it up because he’s getting the chances to play now so let’s hope he does.
Thank god for John McGinn. All over the place yet again and the goal just capped it off.
Onwards and upwards!!!!

[pauliewalnuts]

If you take Watkins, Luiz, Kamara and Diaby out of the team, we look like a lower table side.

Those players are so important for us. And they're not the only ones.

[paul_e]

101 passes attempted, 85 completed so 84%. McGinn was at 60-65% at the start of last season. 4 shots, 2 on target and 1 blocked.

Thanks, Me Logic. Allow me to slightly exaggerate to make a valid point. You may think tonight was his best performance for us. I'd say it was Walsall pre-seaon. Tonight at times he was a liability despite his 84% pass completion, it was the 16% that could have lost us the game. He wasn't alone tonight, there's a few that aren't won't be knocking on Emery's door in the immediate future.

Why would you include a pre-season game when no one was fit?

I wasn't trying to be logical or to 'prove anything with stats' just pointing out that he was nowhere near as bad as you (and others) suggested. Of that 16% I can think of 3-4 that were genuinely poor and of the 84% I can think of 3-4 that could easily have resulted in goals. I'm not even saying he should be pushing to start any time soon but I do wonder exactly what he'd need to do in a match to be considered to have put in a decent performance if tonight isn't good enough for so many of you.

[Clampy]

Made hard work of it but in fairness, they defended very well. An early goal and it would have been a lot more comfortable but sadly, it's not always like that. Got the points though and that was the main thing.