Abject Villa v Chelsea post match thread.

[VillaTim]

Blaming the ref is pathetic and just a cop out

[Smithy]

Lots of misplaced passing, which I just don't understand.  Not even difficult passes, we were just totally off it even with the simple stuff.  Did Chelsea press so well that it threw off our rhythm? I hope not, as we really don't want to be creating a blue-print for how to beat us.  I do think we tend to beat the press far better with Pau in the side, so hopefully that will improve starting this weekend.

[rob_bridge]

Torres passing sets up a lot of our attacking intent and puts opposition on backfoot. He worked very well with Digne.

We have effectively a 2nd string defence and it shows.

[ChicagoLion]

Any side that has to start both their 4th and 5th choice CBs is going to see a drop off. Midfield needs to step up and last night they didn't, they were shit. Next 4 games are Man U (h), Fulham (a), Forest (h) and Luton (a). Plenty of points to be had there, it's up to the manger, coaches and players to get them.

Totally agree about the centre back situation. Lenglet and Carlos are only fit for back up imo. Our defence was woeful last night so much so that the world's best keeper couldn't save us from a demoralising defeat.The midfield went missing in action and Kamara had a kamikaze night to forget. And as if things couldn't get any worse I spent the half time chatting to a Sikh chap in the Trinity Rd who was visibly upset after being racially abused in the gents. Seems we still have a section of bigoted neanderthals in our midst. A thoroughly depressing evening all round although I did get to spend it with my lad who travelled back from uni for our first match together this season. I said to him that hopefully he'll get to see us lift the FA cup in his lifetime because I probably won't.

I hope the fella reported it to the club. They could potentially identify him from CCTV on the concourse. It's sad that such shit still goes these days.

He said he had spoken to a steward who asked him to stand opposite the toilet that the abuse took place at the half time interval to try and identify him. I don't think he did spot him so it's really difficult to identify him although he did give the steward a description. Hopefully it gets escalated because arseholes like that need kicking out.

there are some absolute arseholes out there.

[rob_bridge]

For me our midfield aren’t as good or confident in front of these 2 centre halves as when it’s Torres and Konsa…Carlos in particular just makes me nervous…Konsa’s pace digs us out on the high line so often…these two feel way to slow to play it well.

We weren't undone by our high-line last night though. Chelsea played through us with ease in the middle because they were more aggressive with their pressing and accurate with their passing. They also had too much pace and power on the flanks for our weedy full-backs (Leon struggled helping out too).

Yep nothing to do with the high line last night. Their passing movement and finishing was just far superior. They hunted in packs.
They looked like what we did until about 6 weeks ago.

[Nev]

Blaming the ref is pathetic and just a cop out

I've not seen anyone blame the ref. I've questioned his performance, as have others, but also stated that it had nothing to do with the result.

[VillaTim]

Blaming the ref is pathetic and just a cop out

I've not seen anyone blame the ref. I've questioned his performance, as have others, but also stated that it had nothing to do with the result.

I'd question our performance rather than the Ref unless you are trying to shift the blame

[Nev]

Blaming the ref is pathetic and just a cop out

I've not seen anyone blame the ref. I've questioned his performance, as have others, but also stated that it had nothing to do with the result.

I'd question our performance rather than the Ref unless you are trying to shift the blame

And you are just trolling.

[Ads]

Blaming the ref is pathetic and just a cop out

I've not seen anyone blame the ref. I've questioned his performance, as have others, but also stated that it had nothing to do with the result.

He was very inkeeping with how we played. Awful ref.

[TonyD]

When I saw that tickets were going for £3.50 and a voucher from the Argus, it seemed to foreshadow a not giving a fuck performance. I would have put it on the pre-match thread but I didn't.

The clues were there. 

[tomd2103]

Blaming the ref is pathetic and just a cop out

I've not seen anyone blame the ref. I've questioned his performance, as have others, but also stated that it had nothing to do with the result.

Yeah, ref was poor but ot didn't affect the result in any way.  He gave them pretty much everything when one of thir players went down, yet waved play on a fair few times when ours did in similar circumstances.

[TonyD]

It was pretty clear they were told before the game that Sunday is the number one priority.
Hence the lack of effort and intensity. 

[Risso]

It was pretty clear they were told before the game that Sunday is the number one priority.
Hence the lack of effort and intensity. 

That doesn't explain a similar lack of intensity against Newcastle.

[Stinkin_Thinkin]

Emery should have just picked the kids for the boro game and taken inglorious exit right away back in the 3rd round.Two needless games against chelsea a massive waste of time. Clearly the players want their mid week days off back before the conf league starts. Tilemans was beyond crap last night and so was Kamara first half he might aswell been wearing a blue shirt. At least Diarby got a goal it might give him a boost.

[Chris Smith]

Blaming the ref is pathetic and just a cop out

It is possible to be critical of the ref and at the same time accept that we were crap you know.