Forest v Villa post-match

[nick harper]

Cooper clearly had a plan against us. My major worry is that that game will prove an object lesson for other managers as to how to stop Villa. Muscle them out, deny them room, they are the type of team who can only play if you let them. Although I guess AZ and Fulham were always going to play contain and break anyway

My fear was Forest would get the first goal and Cooper is very adept at setting his sides up deep and well organised in defending a lead. They did it to Arsenal and Liverpool last season, also sides that aim to play through sides. Sometimes a longer ball and trying to get defenders to face their own goal  at least gives them something else to think about.

And our high line? Heart in mouth stuff at times in the first half.

[olaftab]

Many on here have criticised Villa teams in the past for lack of possession as it is true better teams do enjoy more ball. Today we were at 74% and dominated every stat other than the key one, so play like that and we will win more than draw or lose. Today was just a bad day.

[London Villan]

Luiz had a poor game by his standards. If he is off it we are normally poor. It happens. We won’t win every match either, despite having the potential too.

We dominated, but didn’t move the ball quick enough. Also if Forest had given us the space we did for their two goals we’d have scored loads.

[Daley’s dreads]

Yep agree with most. Mcginn excellent if a little obvious with passing out to Digne all the time. Torres our best signing for me. Diaby - I often think he can do more. Quite pleased with Kamara as his head can sometimes go when we are losing but thought he did pretty well. Tielemans the positive I thought. Looks quicker and sharper now and did well. I’d start him away for now as something needs to change away from Villa Park.

[RamboandBruno]

I’d have been more upset if we created nothing and were soundly beaten. Truth was we conceded two stupid long range goals and battered them. We lost these sort of games on the past with a whimper. It just didn’t happen today. It won’t again I’m sure. Mark it down and move on.

Well said Dave.
It shows how far we’ve come that on 75 mins i was still confident, also their fans were really nervous until the last 5 mins. Partly I suppose because they let a 2 goal lead slip to Luton, but i also think because essentially we were battering them. Its just one of those days until its not. If we don’t beat Fulham next week ill be more concerned but we will beat them.

[john2710]

As good as we've been playing at home, we've been generally poor away from home. In all 3 games we've lost, we've given away an early goal. Forrest we're physically stronger than us, especially first half.

We've improved so much in a year but we might need to rethink how we play away from home.

Ramsay & Moreno return & a right back who can go forward would improve things.

[Risso]

Yep Doug was uncharacteristically poor for their first, but the team shape was all wrong and they all seemed out of sorts.

The away form compared to the home is getting to be a bit of a concern to be honest.

[coreyfeldman]

Zaniolo hooked at half time again, he's really starting to not look very good at all

[frank]

Digne had lots of the ball but was very wasteful. Moreno, if fully fit, should start, perhaps beginning on Thursday

[Meanwood Villa]

Am I wrong in thinking that Luiz should have got to the ball for the. first goal but instead hesitated and stood back allowing all the time needed for the shot. As the ball came back I expected us to take possession and move forward to attack but it took a few moments to understand what had happened. I think Luiz was very much at fault for the first goal - and that set the tone for what followed.

I'm not sure that he would have got to the ball but he maybe should have tried to close him down before he took the shot. I may be being overly harsh though.

In real time I definitely thought he should have made more of an effort to get to the player striking the ball.

[Steve67]

Hopefully a poor performance to brush off the 'just expect to turn up and win' type attitude and make us focus for every game, not just the ones we think might be easy.  We dominated possession but did very little with the ball.  I said the other day that, as good as we have been and as improved as several players have been, we need natural replacements for Cash, Kamara and Ollie, all three were below par today.   We can't win very week and it shows how far we have come that we expect to.

[Toronto Villa]

Last time we lost a game we probably should have won, we won 5 of the next 6.

[andyh]

On a tactical note, I thought Forest were clever in not employing a forward press until our defenders reached the half way line.

This really compressed the midfield and gave little room for Diaby, Zaniolo etc to weave their magic.

We were outthought and outfought today.

Exactly.
So why didn’t we change our game plan and mix things up?
Go long, go wide, go bloody quicker !!!!!

[PaulWinch again]

BC, losing a game does not equate to being “found out”. Good grief.

[Toronto Villa]

BC, losing a game does not equate to being “found out”. Good grief.

It’s needless hysteria. We are going to lose games every so often.