Aston Villa vs Sheffield United Post-Match

[Villan82]

For me, the biggest tactical error today was playing McGinn too deep. He is so much more effective further forward.

With Kamara out who would you have selected there? Donk? We also are without Torres so we would have been lacking real quality in that area with Donk and Lenglet in there together.

[Lastfootstamper]

Anybody quoted Fred MacAuley yet?

[Axl Rose]

Too many players well below par. Ramsey and Diaby the worst culprits. Our final ball was abysmal all game.

Diaby needs a goal, urgently.

[CT Villan]

For me, the biggest tactical error today was playing McGinn too deep. He is so much more effective further forward.

That was forced upon us I imagine. I suppose he could have played the Donck there.

To a degree yes, but I'd have been tempted to start Timmy I in there or the Donck as you suggest.

[AlexAlexCropley]

Too many players well below par. Ramsey and Diaby the worst culprits. Our final ball was abysmal all game.

Harsh. 10 men behind the ball and one, if not two stonewall pens not given.

[cdward]

Ok, who changed their routine?

[DrGonzo]

Ramsey is coming back from injury.  That was his first 90 minutes since July.  Easy on him, he's brilliant.

[Bad English]

Not good enough really. We are accustomed to better. Sort it out Emery!

[edgysatsuma89]

I can't say I'm ever really impressed when Duran gets chucked on. Apart from always  being a bit rash, I don't recall really seeing him create too much.

[brontebilly]

Disappointing, kind of flopped on our big night really. Losing to a team as poor as Sheff United would have been sickening so great we got the equaliser late on. Zaniolo was appalling up to the header in his cameo, brave header really and a moment of quality from Luiz to create it. Duran was a joke and should have been sent off. We were far too slow tonight, credit to Sheff United who were really well organised defensively and were a threat late on. Of course it had to be Archer with their goal.
Positives, I thought Lenglet did well on his first start until he tired a bit late on. Not much else really apart from that, Konsa was solid again. Dont think Emery got the selection right really, despite being former teammates Diaby and Bailey tend to get in each other's way. I think the Donk sitting next to Luiz with McGinn on right would have given us better balance in midfield.

Martinez 6 - no chance with goal and could have brought a deckchair that aside
Cash 5 - poor really, so slow on the ball. He misses when McGinn isnt out there with him
Konsa 7 - good performance again
Lenglet 7 - first league start and I thought he did well, tidy on the ball
Digne 6 - hardly attacked first half, better after the break but I thought Moreno could have come on a lot earlier
McGinn 5 - Poor, sat on his ass for their goal and really dont like him left of Luiz in that two. Should have moved him
Luiz 6 - Struggled to break free of Norwood's shadow until he made the goal. Needed to put more tempo into our midfield play
Bailey 6 - lovely finish for the disallowed goal but that aside was quiet tonight
Ramsey 6 - improved second half but nowhere near his best at the moment
Diaby 6 - good first half I thought but went very quiet in the second half, struggling of late
Watkins 6 - great pass for the disallowed goal but that aside he hardly got a kick

Moreno missed a good chance to score, Duran was a clown when he came in, Zaniolo was terrible but then he scored

[Smithy]

After the goal was disallowed it felt like the air was knocked out of our lungs for a bit and they got a second wind.  The way we now play, with recycled possession after recycled possession, and with teams sitting to defend against us, we simply HAVE to find a way to break teams down around the box.  I don't know what the answer is, but too often now teams are making us look a bit toothless by packing a well-organised defence and saying "come on then".  Another reminder that dominating possession doesn't guarantee you anything.

This feels like 2 points lost right now, but come the end of the season, that point might look very good indeed.

[Mister E]

How can VAR be looking at Duran for foul play when the guy had most of his shirt and that Vini Souza had spent all game trying to wind up Villa players? - there is something deeply wrong about VAR when it seems always to be looking for a reason to disallow a goal. The defender was as much a part of the goalkeeper's inability to make the save as Ramsey before Bailey scored.

[Yeltzer]

Cash awful and Ramsey not much better. Surely he knows fouling the keeper is going to get VAR’d. Pissed off but I’d have taken a point going into added time

[PhilVill]

Can't play well every game and they made it very hard. It doesn't matter who you play, you'll always take a point when you one down with three mins left.

[Risso]

The last few corners from Luiz, deary me. MacPhee needs a few words tomorrow.