Aston Villa v Burnley Post Match Thread

[paul_e]

Not relevant to this game, but I just realised that Dendoncker scoring against Man U makes it 16 different players that have scored for us across all competitions. (17 if we count Martinez's own goal, but that wasn't for us)

I think Lenglet is the only player that gets any real game time that hasn't scored yet. And he did actually get it in the net once.

Yep. All comps:

Watkins 14
Bailey 9
Luiz 7
McGinn 7
Diaby 5
Duran 4
Cash 3
Torres 2
Moreno 2
Zaniolo 2
Carlos
Kamara
Tielemans
Digne
Ramsey
Dendonker

For years I've been arguing that our problems have been a lack of goals from the whole team not that we need a 20+ striker. A list like that makes me both happy and vindicated, this year we're doing exactly what I've wanted from us and it's got us in the title race.

Add another 3 or 4 goals the onto Watkins total though, and depending on the games we could be 6 points clear. Everybody needs a 20+ goal striker. He's had the chances to score that many, so it's not like we're prioritising chances for him over the rest of the team.

Or add those same 4 goals onto anyone else in that list (or add a couple more names to it) and we could still be 6 points clear and no closer to having a 20 a season man. In fact if you took 6 away from Watkins and gave an extra 1 to all the players who've only scored once it would, in this world of hypotheticals, make no difference.

[brontebilly]

Luiz 7
McGinn 7
Diaby 5
Duran 4
Cash 3
Torres 2
Moreno 2
Zaniolo 2
Carlos
Kamara
Tielemans
Digne
Ramsey
Dendonker

For a moment, I thought that was brontebilly's player ratings for today's hard fought win.

😄 Will have to watch it back later

[PeterWithesShin]

Last season only Haaland, Kane and Toney scored 20 league goals. 2 of those sides did fuck all and the other player is a freak in a law breaking side.

Previous season only Salah and Son scored 20, season before that, Kane and Salah.

The way football is now the 20 a season striker is overall a bit outdated as teams set up differently to 10+ years ago.

[Bobby Boy]

Not the greatest of performances and made very heavy weather of it at 2-1 up and a man up but got there in the end. It would have been severely deflating to have drawn that match and end the year on a flat note.

Was noticeable though that Kompany largely followed the Sheff Utd mantra of keeping everyone behind the ball and the Man Utd one of playing balls over the top for fast forwards to chase.

Lenglet and Carlos just aren't quick enough (Lenglet especially) to chase speedy forwards with a high line. Burnley like Man Utd looked threatening just trying this simple tactic.

If we ever have to play Carlos and Lenglet together again maybe we need to have a re-think?

[Holte132]

Anybody else on the same points as the leaders but with an inferior goal difference - second. Aston Villa on the same points as the leaders but with an inferior goal difference. Joint top. It's just basic maths.

Oh how I love this logic!

[Risso]

Or add those same 4 goals onto anyone else in that list (or add a couple more names to it) and we could still be 6 points clear and no closer to having a 20 a season man. In fact if you took 6 away from Watkins and gave an extra 1 to all the players who've only scored once it would, in this world of hypotheticals, make no difference.

He's doing great, but the point I'm making is he "could" be a 20 goal a season player. He scores a good number of goals but with a better first touch and better finishing he could be on more. If he'd scored more from lots of the chances he's had and missed, we'd have finished higher in the table for the last three seasons.

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

Best game for Diaby in quite a while, brilliant work rate in tracking back on a number of occasions it’s just a shame he didn’t get a couple more goals. A player of his standard should be at least hitting the target with those chances at 2-1.

[Brazilian Villain]

For a moment, I thought that was brontebilly's player ratings for today's hard fought win.

😄 Will have to watch it back later

Only kidding.

I do value your thoughts on the games, as you're of the more astute posters on here when it comes to football.

[Clampy]

Watkins going through another barren spell.

Might not have scored but two assists today.

[paul_e]

Or add those same 4 goals onto anyone else in that list (or add a couple more names to it) and we could still be 6 points clear and no closer to having a 20 a season man. In fact if you took 6 away from Watkins and gave an extra 1 to all the players who've only scored once it would, in this world of hypotheticals, make no difference.

He's doing great, but the point I'm making is he "could" be a 20 goal a season player. He scores a good number of goals but with a better first touch and better finishing he could be on more. If he'd scored more from lots of the chances he's had and missed, we'd have finished higher in the table for the last three seasons.

He could be, sure, but he doesn't need to be for us to be successful, the idea that you need a top scoring striker to win the league is massively out of date (PWS said 10 years above but I reckon it's a lot more than that with the odd blip over the last 30 years). To repeat though, the last sentence is true for us as an entire squad, not just Watkins, so I don't see the need to single him out.

This season we're scoring goals in the sort of quantity you need to be in a title race and, despite some ropey defending at times, that's exactly where we find ourselves. Watkins is also top for assists in the league which shows that he's still fundamental in our attack but now we flood the box with enough men and enough quality that it's hard to stop us.

[john e]

Good hard fought win although we were extremely wasteful today in front of goal and should have had this game sorted out a lot sooner

best player for me today was there Lyle Foster he had Lenglet and Carlos on toast every time he took them on and was dangerous throughout the whole game playing on his own up front
Don’t know anything about him at all apart from seeing him live today

Bailey was our danger man thought he was our man of the match

[olaftab]

I never really understand “joint top” - we’re second, goal difference is a factor. It’s brilliant obviously, but if the league finished now the title wouldn’t be shared.

At this stage in the season joint top is a relevant statement. It shows progress at similar level to another team. Of course there is a final eliminator called goal difference when music stops playing but for now we are joint top.

[olaftab]

Full match being shown on Sky now as their Game of the day.

[LeeB]

That Foster was rated as a youth, was in one of the Guardian's '100 best young player' lists (so was Jhon).

I'd be keeping an eye on him.

[paul_e]

That Foster was rated as a youth, was in one of the Guardian's '100 best young player' lists (so was Jhon).

I'd be keeping an eye on him.

Loads of pace and good feet but his finishing lets him down most of the time (good today though). As I said in the match thread for me he's no better than Archer and is a couple of years older.