Sheffield United vs Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Perthvillan]

That second goal was a thing of beauty.
World class from Dougie with that pass with the outside of his foot and great finish from Ollie.
If Arsenal want to buy Dougie they better have plenty of money.

[Astnor]

That was great, each goal terrific too and that pass from Dougie *Chef’s kiss*

With the exception of Pau coming back in feels like that’s our best team - the McGinn/Tielemans/Bailey/Watkins front four gives us a great balance.

Agree and with the defence of Konsa, Carlos, Lenglet/ Pau, Moreno / Digne to go with it

[FrankyH]

We’ve beaten Sheffield United 5-0 three times, across three different centuries:

12.11.1894 Aston Villa 5 Sheffield United 0
23.04.1932 Aston Villa 5 Sheffield United 0
03.02.2024 Sheffield United 0 Aston Villa 5

Lovely.

Just need to win the FA Cup now , to be the first club to win it in three different centuries.

[RamboandBruno]

Stats pretty much show this Sheffield United team are one of the worst top flight teams for a very long time if not ever, and they really did look it.

However, really good teams batter poor sides most of the time and thats what we did. I thought we were excellent in every aspect of the team. Hard to pick out any one player, but the Bailey, Watkins, Tielemans trio makes us such a threat.

A couple of other points, i thought Emery was short and to the point more than normal in the pre match interview. I reckon the players got a right going over on Wednesday after the Newcastle game.

Don Goodman was on co-commentary, he said in the match build up and when it was still 0-0, tgat we’ve been shipping goals lately. Three clean sheets before Newcastle, its just lazy research/commentary.

Long way to, go, but we’re not going away with this manager. Every time we take a punch, we bounce back up.

[Villa Lew]

Just brilliant Villa, could easily have been more, but understandably we took it easy for the last 30 mins or so, with the match on Wednesday, bring on Chelsea and Man United now, can wait.

[London Villan]

They will still end up with more points than we did when we were relegated…

[Smithy]

How on earth did we not beat them 5 weeks ago?

Chance to go top too...we bottled it that night really

Tonight was just utterly focused from the first whistle, it could have been 10 if we wanted. Put the blades to the sword etc. Notice served to the likes of Tottenham that we aren't going to fall away. Season defining stretch coming up but tonight was some response to mid week.

As much as I want acknowledge "we were simply much better" against Sheff Utd compared to VP - and we definitely were - it's also how the opposition set up.  At our place they were ultra defensive, sat deep, and made us try and break them down while sitting just outside the box with no space in behind.  That is most definitely our weak spot as a side right now.  When teams have a go, and offer a reasonable attacking threat, we now have the players, tactics and all round ability to play through them and create chances. Yesterday we were pretty ruthless at taking those chances.

We've effectively played two completely different Sheff Utd sides.  One that was doing it's very best not to lose, and one that was at home and "tried" to attack only to be picked off at will by a much better side.  Our first three goals yesterday all game from quick transitions when we've won the ball, and then running into space in behind as they'd all pushed up.  None of those opportunities present themselves in the reverse fixture as they were so rarely that far away from their own goal.

Yesterday was brilliant, and an indication of what we're capable of when teams "have a go" and we're on it.  But we also need to find a better way to deal with teams who play like Sheff Utd at our place, which I imagine most teams will do if they ever get the first goal against us (apart from those going for the title/Europe)

[Hookeysmith]

[Long way to, go, but we’re not going away with this manager. Every time we take a punch, we bounce back up]

That is a very good point and a great way to explain this manager and team

[Dogtanian]

We’ve beaten Sheffield United 5-0 three times, across three different centuries:

12.11.1894 Aston Villa 5 Sheffield United 0
23.04.1932 Aston Villa 5 Sheffield United 0
03.02.2024 Sheffield United 0 Aston Villa 5

Lovely.

Just need to win the FA Cup now , to be the first club to win it in three different centuries.

 

[Smithy]

[Long way to, go, but we’re not going away with this manager. Every time we take a punch, we bounce back up]

That is a very good point and a great way to explain this manager and team

When was the last time we got into February in the league and had followed up every single league defeat with a win? We might not have been firing on all cyclinders of late, but we're resilient, and we don't tend to let the bad results drag out and affect our next match.

I thought last season as our form was improving that the key to really pushing on was achieving back-to-back wins on a reasonably consistent basis (which we hadn't done in a VERY long time).  I think the reverse is also true, if you lose one, make sure it's just one and win the next.

[Clampy]

We looked more like ourselves in the final third which is what has been lacking lately and like others, delighted to have bounced straight back after a defeat.

[Allan C]

It’s about time we gave someone a thrashing away from home. This was really satisfying. What I liked is that there were 5 different scorers. Not many teams will live with us when we play like that. As many others have said, Dougie’s pass was the highlight for me but there were many. Brilliant

[Chris Smith]

Individually and collectively we were so much better. Players who had been below par in the last couple of games all stepped up to make it look easy. Obviously much tougher games to come but we’ll be going into them with renewed confidence.

[dave shelley]

Dougie’s pass for the second goal was pure sex.

I said that to the guy witching with me. If that was Debruyner orTrent they would of interrupted strictly to show it.

World class

Spellbinding wasn't it?

[pauliewalnuts]

Great performance. Did the right thing making changes at half time / after the fifth.

Understand the GD boost 2 or 3 more might have given but then there's the risk of injuries and/or pointless tiredness for important players, plus the chance to give, for example, JJ some more match time to get him back where he needs to be.

The technique we showed in our goals was brilliant stuff. Dougie's ball for Ollie to score was just so utterly disgusting it would probably be illegal in a lot of countries.

Incredible to think that only a few weeks ago, Sheffield United were within a gnat's chuff of taking all three points at Villa Park. Amazing Archer can't get starts there, too.

Their players look so flabby and out of shape, it's really no wonder they're doomed.