Aston Villa v Burnley Post Match Thread

[olaftab]

Burnley didn’t bring many fans either, so double balls to them.

Yes that was surprising. I thought coming from up north this could be a lifelong holiday trip for them, but I suppose the kick off was at an awkward time 3PM on a Saturday afternoon . I can understand when Palace, Fulham etc don't  fulfil their allocation.

[Brend'Watkins]

We had enough chances to have won 3 games. We were totally dominant throughout and fully deserved the win. Yes, we made harder work of it than we should but even with many below par performances were superior to Burnley just about everywhere. I would love to see Konsa back in the middle where he’s best. Lenglet and Carlos are decent but far too slow for my liking, hurry up and get fit Tyrone.

[Ian.]

These comments and the variety that we all see them really highlights the main problem for VAR. So many decisions are too subjective and is prefer to be relying on the three on field referees at the time the incident happens.

[Olof's Beard]

It was the sort of penalty decision that makes it all the more incredible that we are yet to concede a penalty all season. They get given for the merest contact.

[olaftab]

In amongst Man U’s numerous title wins under Alex Ferguson, and some of the excellent football they played, often at our expense, it’s forgotten just how many games they needed to fight through to the bitter end. The whole “Fergie time” didn’t come about because they were winning 4-0 heading into the 90th minute. It’s because they went to the very end. You can always argue they got a little help from refs but it’s a mentality that in the point we earned vs Sheff Utd or today vs Burnley, even a few games ago vs Palace, that we need to have to be successful. Not every game is going to be Brighton at home. The last three games have tested us in very different ways. It’s good to end the year with a win.

A paragraph or two from the BBC along the lines of what you're saying TV:

If Aston Villa needed to signal that they are genuine Premier League title challengers, their victory over Burnley fulfilled that requirement.

Not that their 3-2 win over the Clarets was convincing, far from it. It was only sealed in the final minutes of regulation time through a penalty which struck the bar twice.

But it ticked the box of winning ugly, of securing three points even when well below their best. If Villa - now level on points with leaders Liverpool - are to stay in the title race, these are the wins they need.

[Bobby Boy]

It was the sort of penalty decision that makes it all the more incredible that we are yet to concede a penalty all season. They get given for the merest contact.

I don't think it was a pen to be honest but Duran's reaction was so extreme that it probably convinced the ref to give it. Having said that we should definitely have got 2 pens against Sheffield.

Then again, Douglas Luiz's kick on Jesus in the Arsenal game was a far clearer pen than yesterday's.

It's swings and roundabouts, innit?

[PeterWithe]

It was far nervier than it should have been, we missed far too many chances to make it comfortable, we didn't even work the keeper for most of them. But we did deserve to win, they only had two chances and scored them both, and both were infuriatingly preventable.

We just dont look as solid and organised at the back these last three games, and Duggie is well off his feed which means we dont control the midfield tempo. I though Bailey was star man, he looked the only one likely to open them up, Konsa and Ollie also very good, everyone else various shades of average.

We, the match going fans, also need to remember that Unai's patient, probing possession style is what has transformed us into a side competing at the top, the general harummphing to 'get it forward' in the last 10 mins is daft, we don't play that way and making the atmosphere anxious is counter productive.

[olaftab]

I don't think it was a pen to be honest but Duran's reaction was so extreme that it probably convinced the ref to give it. Having said that we should definitely have got 2 pens against Sheffield.

Nothing to do with Duran's reaction. The ref decided it was a pen as soon as he was kicked however he waited to if McGinn could find some advantage and post that he pointed to the spot. Very good refereeing all around.

[ChicagoLion]

It was the sort of penalty decision that makes it all the more incredible that we are yet to concede a penalty all season. They get given for the merest contact.

I don't think it was a pen to be honest but Duran's reaction was so extreme that it probably convinced the ref to give it. Having said that we should definitely have got 2 pens against Sheffield.

Then again, Douglas Luiz's kick on Jesus in the Arsenal game was a far clearer pen than yesterday's.

It's swings and roundabouts, innit?

I agree that it wasn’t a Pen on Duran, but I don’t think it was on Jesus though, again there is minimal contact and a huge player over reaction.

[Goldenballs]

Diego handball, it bounced off his thigh and onto his hand in a natural position, he wasnt looking at the ball. However he did fuck up that play big time.

What was VAR looking at, deliberate handball and a red? Or handball in the box for a pen?

[astonvilla82]

Wes’s firm Fortress definitely had hedge funds. Wasn’t just private equity.

Agreed, he was a partner at BlackRock before he co-founded Fortress which was named "Hedge Fund Manager of the Year" in 2014 by Institutional Investor. In this instance, I'd say the term 'hedge fund billionaire' is close enough for the purposes of a quip in a post-match thread.

yes but not accurate.

I think it is, you don't. Take it up with Institutional Investor.

I don’t need to.
I know.

Oh well, I really was hoping the phrase "Hedge Fund Manager of the Year" would have been a slight clue.

This really has to be the daftest argument I've seen here for a while, and I should know, I'm normally involved in them!

p.s. Duran was kicked, it's a penalty. Whether it was soft or not he was fouled, in the penalty area.

Like Harry Kane use to get

[RichardBatchelor]

Really think we need to use the squad in the FA Cup, there are only 2 prem games in Jan and it would give a lot of injured players time to recover.
For the Boro game I would go :

Emi
Cash if fit Carlos Lenglet Moreno
JJ Kamara Donk
Diaby Duran Zaniolo

Strong bench if needed
That team really should be good enough to beat an ordinary championship side.

Erm … yes, should be, but have you studied our recent FA Cup history …

[Nev]

The continued use of VAR pushes me ever nearer to giving up going to top flight football. Yesterday was a great game but the drama and emotion was 50% of what it could've been and I don't want to watch a game where I can't celebrate a goal with any conviction.

It was a struggle as far as the game goes but you could see how much it meant to everyone at the end to get the points. For once, I'm glad of a break but the lopsided nature of the fixtures in Dec and Jan really needs to be addressed.

[Lastfootstamper]

Their address is Turf Moor, 52-56 Harry Potts Way, Burnley BB10 4BX if any of you sleepless people want to pop two points in an envelope.

[PeterWithe]

Yeah, whatever the rights and wrongs of VAR, and I was never a supporter from the start, its sucking the joy out of being at the game, I hardly celebrated Diaby's goal other than a cheer and applause as I knew it was coming back for a VAR check.

And I suppose that it is not the injustice of various VAR calls that will eventually kill it off, it is that it is ruining the atmosphere and the 'product' that is so valuable, it's meaning overseas TV will pay less the worse the atmospheres get. Maybe.