Man Utd vs Aston Villa post-match thread

[VillaTim]

I'd like to see a few changes for the Burnley game in the limited way we can make them

[tomd2103]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but we really should have gone 4-3-3 second half with Bailey and Diaby out wide and tightened up the middle. Emery doesn't seem to like this formation though.

I was thinking that we maybe should have gone to a back 3 in the 2nd half as they were getting behind and down the sides of our defence far too easily.  I think adding another CB would have closed that space. 

Konsa had a torrid evening and I would rather not see him moved from CB (although I accept that we didn't have much choice).  We have to get another RB in during the January window.

[FatSam]

It’s all about the reaction now. Really hoping that this is the low point, and the performances start improving, as the last 3 since Arsenal have been sketchy at best. If you include Pau (who presumably wasn’t fit to be involved), we were missing Buendia, Mings, Tielemans, Pau, Kamara and Cash today. With Ramsey, Diaby (and possibly Luiz and Zaniolo) struggling for form, we’re really hanging in there by our fingertips at the moment - which makes the Kamara suspension all the more infuriating.

[VillaTim]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but we really should have gone 4-3-3 second half with Bailey and Diaby out wide and tightened up the middle. Emery doesn't seem to like this formation though.

I was thinking that we maybe should have gone to a back 3 in the 2nd half as they were getting behind and down the sides of our defence far too easily.  I think adding another CB would have closed that space. 

Konsa had a torrid evening and I would rather not see him moved from CB (although I accept that we didn't have much choice).  We have to get another RB in during the January window.

The midfield was non existent so it was wave after wave of attacks on the defence .

[SoccerHQ]

I'd like to see a few changes for the Burnley game in the limited way we can make them

Pau should be straight back in.

Diaby was good in the away game. Different times but I'd be starting him on Saturday and in the cup at Boro to try to get some better form out of him for second half of the season.

[VillaTim]

I'd like to see a few changes for the Burnley game in the limited way we can make them

Pau should be straight back in.

Diaby was good in the away game. Different times but I'd be starting him on Saturday and in the cup at Boro to try to get some better form out of him for second half of the season.

I'd take that, possibly also play Irogbunam alongside Luiz , Ramsey needs resting so Zaniolo and McGinn . Moreno obviously plays now and maybe get cash back and Konsa and Torres as CB's

[tomd2103]

We don’t have as talented players as most top teams. Emery had just got them performing out of their skins. Watching Liverpool b Arsenal the other night, it was so obvious our players aren’t as good as either of their teams. The fact that we are almost on a par , point wise, with them, is down to Emery.

Just imagine what he could achieve if he is allowed to strengthen in January or the summer.

We are a right back and centre forward away from being title contenders.

I’d agree with most of this. Emery knows we aren’t yet up to challenging and he’s worked miracles with this squad. A few injuries throws the team out of kilt and what comes in isn’t good enough. January, as you say, is vital for the season but I don’t think it makes us title contenders whatever happens.

Of course, heightened expectations make things feel worse when they don't work out.  I felt gutted after the draw against Sheff Utd on Friday night, which was probably because we missed going out on going top of the league.  I think had we been 5th or 6th, it wouldn't have felt anywhere near as disappointing.

Tonight probably felt a lot worse as we were 2-0 up at half-time.  Had we gone there, not been in the game and lost 2 or 3 nil I don't think it would have felt as frustrating as that did. 

I keep telling myself that finishing any higher than we did last season is improvement (though Emery's tally of points replicated over an entire season would have seen us finish higher than 7th) and we currently sit 3rd and are in the last 16 of a European competition with the FA Cup to come.  We are also only a year into Unai Emery being here and there are still improvements to make, so nights like Friday and tonight will happen.

[aldridgeboy]

We were poor. Extremely poor second half. Players that have been amazing all season were poor. We have no credible plan b for Watkins. Carlos was poor, Dougie was very poor.

But they have all been incredible all season. They’re due a bad game I guess , it’s just a shame it was all at the same time.

But we’re third. At Christmas.  I’ll take that all day long.

It's 3 questionable performances on the spin though and the Arsenal game was backs to the wall. We are running on empty

Yep, I don’t disagree. Some of our outstanding players are in no doubt in need or a rest. And that’s where the squad isn’t deep enough quality wise.

[ROBBO]

What pisses me off is that Kamara is not missing through injury but by a lack of discipline,
he would have made a difference the last two games.

[PhilVill]

Big January to come and as others have alluded to, we must get in a right back and a solid striker at least. We have missed Torres and Kamera massively in the last two games. However, as utterly pissed off as I am at that woeful second half and that we produced it at that shit hole, we have had a great season so far and being honest, 70 points overall would be a huge achievement this year.

[jwarry]

Big January to come and as others have alluded to, we must get in a right back and a solid striker at least. We have missed Torres and Kamera massively in the last two games. However, as utterly pissed off as I am at that woeful second half and that we produced it at that shit hole, we have had a great season so far and being honest, 70 points overall would be a huge achievement this year.

Yes this.  If you had said to any of us last Christmas that we would be where we are now you would have been carted off to the asylum.  Instead of getting angry about last night we should be thinking wow, and this is on,y the start.  There will always be bumps but Monchi hasn’t had his first window yet and Unai still believes there is more to come from the players he already has. 

Here’s to a sensational 2024 🍺

[Rigadon]

The first time we’ve looked like old villa all season.  Very disappointing 2nd half.  But I’m still a believer mate. 

[Demitri_C]

They all seemed like they were on their xmas party 2nd half. Cant think of a single second half performance that was good

They were all hopeless and just did not even try. It was a disgrace

You don't mind losing but you don't lose in that manner.

[kippaxvilla2]

Slept on it and still feel totally sick.  This was a very, very bad defeat.  This lot make no mistake are the worst manure side since the last one.  We had them by the balls and we fell apart.  And worst still it’s all over every Fcukin news outlet how great their comeback was. 

[Gareth]

For all the plaudits we have given Unai since he arrived particularly about his in game management for me that 2nd half has to be on him, sometimes you have to pull the high line back, even if it had just been for 15 mins.

Also enphasised again why if we only sign one in Jan it 100% has to be a right back to succeed / alternate with Cash because we need Konsa back in the middle and must get Torres and Konsa back together.

Bigger picture 39 points before new year is amazing & more reason to smile than frown

Deeply annoying to turn 0-2 to 3-2 again v those idiots