Aston Villa 1-3 Newcastle Post match cry

[VillaTim]

Moreno had a horrific game , we really miss Digne

[UK Redsox]

Aside from the goal, the Villa highlights were SJM's hip/arse check that sent the Newcastle player into orbit, Ezri's ridiculous spin move and Leon showing why he should have started by turning Burn inside out

[boozey182]

There was nothing for the fans get behind though for the first hour
I mean I was saying to my son, just give us something anything I’m not talking about goals or big shots from range, I’m saying anything where you can start to get behind a team with

One of the big problems is if there is a 50-50 chance of a ball going forward or backwards. We always take the backwards option always,it’s ridiculous we just end up going back to square one all time
I know we’ve got this patient buildup and that’s fine , but you still Got to impose yourself on the opposition more than we do. We take the negative ball 90% of the time trying to thread the needle we just make it too easy for the opposition

We never had an attempt on goal for half an hour last night maybe longer
How are you supposed to start to get behind a team when they’re going round in circles doing nothing

John, you have just awoken a long held fascination of mine. If I could go back to the days when I had more time and fewer responsibilities, I would devote myself to researching the psychology and importance of football fans. It would be fascinating*.

Do fans matter? I’m sure I’ve felt the fans lift the team at times, but maybe we put too much importance on it. That spontaneous roar against Liverpool in the FA Cup semi final; did it lift the players and help see them through, or would we have held on anyway? It felt good to be a part of it, certainly, and it felt like we made a difference, but maybe it’s just what we tell ourselves.

On the other hand, I have always felt like negativity from the fans is passed on to the players. As the players drop deeper, hanging on to a lead, we get nervous. They get nervous. We concede two in injury time and lose the game. But maybe that’s nonsense too - the fans didn’t fail to clear the corner. Kodjia did, and he would have fucked it up even if we were singing his name louder than ever before.

I don’t know how important fans are. My personal, unfounded, view is that we can make a small difference at some points. It’s probably more of a one-two relationship - they feed us, we feed them, they score. Can a fan base lift a team from nothing? If there is nothing to feed off, can the sheer noise from the crowd make a positive difference on the pitch? And, if there is even a tiny chance that it could, why would you not give it a go…? Stand up and shout until you're hoarse. The worst thing that will happen is that you lose a bit more respect from your Dad sitting next to you, but there wasn’t much left anyway. (Might be a bit of personal experience creeping in there).

My only gripe last night was that I thought the players, over the last 12 months, had earned a bit more from us. There were pockets of us in the Upper Holte trying to get something going, but there was just a sense that the overwhelming feeling was quite negative. Which I completely get, as you say, we just never got into the game, and there was nothing to latch on to. It’s hard to see the bigger picture when what is right in front of you is so shit.
 
Is it possible to properly change that mentality to generate a more positive atmosphere? Would it even matter if we did? I have no idea.

Everyone is different though, and everyone goes to a game for different reasons. I’m sure part of my thinking is linked to much deeper psychological issues! I cannot just sit there quietly when things are going wrong. I have to be doing something that makes me feel like I’m helping. It certainly doesn’t make me a ‘better fan’, and I hope that it doesn’t come across like I’m lecturing people (I’ll wait until the book tour for that).

*It might not be fascinating.

[The Edge]

Night's like that can happen when your struggling for form. We are missing three quality centre halves and it's starting to take it's toll. But we wasn't as bad as some are making out. Bailey looks class and but for a toecap being offside we would have pulled it back to 2-3 then who knows what might have happened. I'm confident Unai will sort it out and I'm confident we will go on another run of top form in the very near future.

Pau, Mings and ?

Carlos

[Baldy]

Fascinates me, Mr Boozey.

Using Liverpool as an example:

Liverpool's record at a packed Anfield since 2017 (Klopps first full season) up to August 2023 in the Premier League:

112 games

86 wins (77% win rate)

23 draws

3 losses (2 in 2016/17 and 1 in 2022/23)

80 consecutive games unbeaten (April 23, 2017 ㅡ October 29, 2022)

286 goals scored (2.6 goals scored per game)

77 goals conceded (0.7 goals conceded per game)

57 clean sheets (51%)

However, behind closed doors:

Played 23 at Anfield, Won 13, Drawn 4, Lost 6.

The crowd makes a massive difference. Unai knows it and is always trying to make that connection.

[Risso]

Night's like that can happen when your struggling for form. We are missing three quality centre halves and it's starting to take it's toll. But we wasn't as bad as some are making out. Bailey looks class and but for a toecap being offside we would have pulled it back to 2-3 then who knows what might have happened. I'm confident Unai will sort it out and I'm confident we will go on another run of top form in the very near future.

Pau, Mings and ?

Carlos

He's not missing because of an injury or anything, Emery just prefers to play the left-footed Lenglet there.

[PeterWithe]

A mate of mine had a son who played in goal professionally.

He always said that he was concentrating so much on the game that crowd noise was at best background distraction and didn't effect him either way, no matter what he said to the club media, newspapers etc. Not sure I really believed him or whether he was a one off.

[The Edge]

Night's like that can happen when your struggling for form. We are missing three quality centre halves and it's starting to take it's toll. But we wasn't as bad as some are making out. Bailey looks class and but for a toecap being offside we would have pulled it back to 2-3 then who knows what might have happened. I'm confident Unai will sort it out and I'm confident we will go on another run of top form in the very near future.

Pau, Mings and ?

Carlos

He's not missing because of an injury or anything, Emery just prefers to play the left-footed Lenglet there.

Of course. I'd forgotten that. I prefer him to Lenglet but I don't pick the team.

[Paul.S]

Last night was not a surprise to me. We haven’t played well for a number of weeks, since the Arsenal game. I don’t blame any 1 player, it’s just that we don’t have the depth of quality to give players a rest or replace them when they aren’t producing.
We look a tired team who are struggling to find a way past teams who now show us huge respect and sit back. It was always going to happen at some point and I think Emery knew it would as well. I’m not saying give up and accept things but let’s be honest the building job done by Emery and the improvement in almost every player has been superb. Getting Ramsey back up to speed and Torres back fit may just give us the boost we need to kick on again.

[Villa Lew]

The worrying thing is we've not played well now since the Man City match, but last night, along with the 2nd half at Man United, is probably the worst we've played in this present spell, only Martinez, McGinn and of course Bailey come out with anything credit. Nevertheless I still have every confidence in Unai, the next 3 games are huge Sheff United, Chelsea and Man United.

[Brend'Watkins]

We really miss Mings' defending at set pieces.

[nick harper]

Newcastle man-marked all over the pitch. Clearly learnt from last season and were much more aggressive on the longer pass as well. Botman was even stepping into midfield to mark McGinn for our goal kicks. They were just better on the night.

Emery won’t change. He will demand the players improve to overcome the way teams set up. Or he’ll replace them.

I would have Tielemans as a 10 behind Watkins. He is our best at opening sides up.

[Risso]

Newcastle man-marked all over the pitch. Clearly learnt from last season and were much more aggressive on the longer pass as well. Botman was even stepping into midfield to mark McGinn for our goal kicks. They were just better on the night.

Emery won’t change. He will demand the players improve to overcome the way teams set up. Or he’ll replace them.

I would have Tielemans as a 10 behind Watkins. He is our best at opening sides up.

That's the annoying thing, Newcastle aren't a great team by any means. But they marked Luiz and Kamara out of the game completely, and hardly gave Watkins or Diaby a touch. The replacing players bit looks to have hit a bit of a brick wall as well. Emery is a great manager, but he needs a trick or two up his sleeve for when things aren't going well. And don't make stupid, avoidable mistakes like starting Diaby.

[PaulWinch again]

Newcastle man-marked all over the pitch. Clearly learnt from last season and were much more aggressive on the longer pass as well. Botman was even stepping into midfield to mark McGinn for our goal kicks. They were just better on the night.

Emery won’t change. He will demand the players improve to overcome the way teams set up. Or he’ll replace them.

I would have Tielemans as a 10 behind Watkins. He is our best at opening sides up.

They set up well and played with good intensity, but even in the current system we should have been able to cope with the man marking - it just required us to show some intent, and precision, but we did neither. We were aimless, imprecise, and lethargic- except shortly after Bailey came on. Emery takes responsibility, but the players need to as well, they were meek and very passive.

Like I said post game I’m hoping that game is the nadir where we draw a line under the last month or so of performances.

[brontebilly]

We really miss Mings' defending at set pieces.

To be fair we have been really strong defending them all season. Watkins just seemed to miss the ball to clear the first last night, Lenglet not great either. Fine finish, mind. It was a good shot for the second but Lenglet has to do better with the block. It's struck well but he's facing it and needs to sort his feet out quicker.

Newcastle had so many chances last night that required last ditch blocks and Martinez miracles...set piece defending is a long way down our list of problems I fear.