Aston Villa vs Sheffield United Post-Match

[Hillbilly]

On the plus side, Man Utd won’t set up as negatively so we should be able to work our magic. On the other hand, Fernandes is still a dirty, cheating, snide, whiny wee tunc.

[Gareth]

For me that was the first opponent who truly set up to stop us, others have a little bit they basically had the 541 as a back 9, thought they did it excellently too so credit to Wilder.

Thought we fell into the trap of trying to be too intricate at times and not prepared to get a shot away from outside the box which let them continue with that set up.

We will see a lot more of this now, we have a target on our backs and no longer seen as a soft touch and have to find ways to play round it.

Ref was appalling, failed to clamp down on the niggly fouls first half but wasn’t going to make any decisions, he reffed to allow VAR to re-ref everything.

[London Villan]

We’ve all watched football long enough to expect games like last night. And it would be the most Emery thing ever to be to only hit first place on the last game of the season.

We are second going into Christmas, no one could’ve dreamt this this time last season.

[Tom_Mc9?]

Heartbroken that I won't get to see us top of the league. Utterly heartbroken.

Yet.

[Bobby Boy]

Disappointing but I guess that's partly down to the raised expectations from the run we've been on.

Sheffield were always going to put everyone behind the ball so I was taken aback that we played so slowly, that our passing was so safe and conservative.

In particular I was really frustrated with the full backs (Cash especially) getting the ball out wide but refusing to take on the opposing full backs instead constantly coming inside into traffic.

Thought we played exactly how Sheffield would have wanted.

Still, it's been an incredible run and hopefully a blip of a performance.

[PhilVill]

Morning after night before... 11 points out of the last 15 is an excellent return so can't complain. A new challenge is to adapt to teams who come to do nothing but frustrate. Bailey's goal decision was dreadful but if you get up close and personal with keepers, you invite that. Cash is a good lad but he is the weakest link now and an upgrade is required. I'll be pleased when Torres back and Man Utd will give us far more room than that so not as pissed off this morning as I was at 10pm yesterday 😁

[FatSam]

He’s trying to get free from the midfielder and happens to catch Robinson.

That’s my take on it as well, but I don’t know if that is how the rules of the game would interpret it. Presumably shirt pulling is a yellow card offence, but elbowing someone would be a red card offence as it’s violent conduct. So the issue would be whether or not he intended to elbow him. What are you supposed to do if someone is pulling your shirt though?

[nigel]

We have to get used to teams setting up like this.
Zrinjski (both games) and Brentford showed how to frustrate us, 9-10 players goal side of ball when we’re in possession. Sheffield followed suit, and it almost paid full dividends.
Against teams like this we need an early goal to open things up.
That said, had we been awarded the penalty (what were var looking at!!) the scenario changes.

[LeonW]

We’re still progressing. We’re nowhere near the point where we can expect perfection. We need to keep that in mind.

[Flamingo Lane]

On the matter of the disallowed goal, although we were not crowding the goalkeeper in the way that we were against Arsenal, I really do not like this tactic of getting so closely engaged with the keeper, as we know they are a protected species and will inevitably get the benefit of any doubt, as he did in this instance, even though Ramsey himself was being fouled. If a corner is put in with the appropriate pace, direction and projectory it shouldn't be necessary to have the keeper being man marked in that way.

On the second phase of play point, I can see why the decision again went against us, given the ball had barely left the penalty area and that Sheffield really had only the one way to go with the ball, and quickly, other than simply hoofing the ball, which I guess they should not have felt under constraint to do. So as it transpired, rather like how the advantage rule would have been applied, I guess, if the referee had known the goalie had been fouled.

[PaulWinch again]

It seems to slip under the radar are a bit, but in the last two games we’ve had the following key absences:

Brentford - Doug, Digne, Tielemans
Sheff Utd - Kamara, Tielemans, Pau

That’s not counting Mings and Buendia, but that’s properly influential first teamers. It’s something all teams need to cope with, but doesn’t change the fact it’s tough.

In particular in those type of games Tielemans would be a real difference maker, as he’s exactly the player who can pick a pass through a packed defence.

[Ads]

It's the other penalties we ought to have had. Contact with the keeper is an issue when two hands are on the ball, so if we're disallowing a goal, we ought to be giving us a couple of penalties first half. I felt VAR interfered far too much.

They had a plan, it was ugly and horrible to watch a televised game we all used to play in training or the playground of 89 minutes of attack and defence but that's their prerogative.

If we'd kept our composure, then we'd have eventually found a way, as we did to equalise. No Torres and no Yuri made the lock picking harder.

But its 46 from 48 at home, its 2nd in the league. We'll just go top another day.

Up the fucking Villa.

[Legion]

Aston Villa 1-1 Sheffield United: John McGinn calls for perspective amid 'miracle' Premier League title race - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67809098

[Rico]

To much emphasis on being top at Christmas. The only day it matters is the last day of the season after all of the games have finished.

[tricky59]

I think it was right to disallow it. Ramsey was holding the keeper back by one of his arms, which meant he couldn't catch/clear the ball properly, so the ball ended up back with one of our players. I'd have been pissed off it that had been allowed to stand against us. The penalty for the shove seemed far more clear and obvious.

The ball ended up with their player, so in referee speak there was a different phase of play, they then lost the ball and Villa scored. Any foul on the keeper was irrelevant. This was VAR re refereeing the game.