Aston Villa vs Spurs post match embarrassment

[john e]

The ridiculous thing on reflection is that the first half tactics were sort of working, admittedly it made for a turgid affair, but it seems to me we were inviting Spurs on then looking to work a position to get Watkins one on one with Romero. Except it didn’t work and we seemed to get Bailey one on one with der Ven and he was useless. They realised we were passive and really pressed us second half and Konsa and Cash got overrun and we ended up throwing it away. Hey ho onto Thursday.

this is the thing that gets me mad
they wern't working we had no shots on goal we did nothing but sit back and lob balls over the top for Watkins and Bailey to run on to from a long way out

we havent played that way all season so why the change to Moyes mode in the most important game for ages

[brontebilly]

Had Emery subbed Watkins with half an hour to go in such a big game there would've been uproar.  It was 'only' 0-2 until the dying minutes.

Maybe but Watkins, and we as a team, were done really by then. The last thing he needed was running around after three defenders by himself.

[Sexual Ealing]

The ridiculous thing on reflection is that the first half tactics were sort of working, admittedly it made for a turgid affair, but it seems to me we were inviting Spurs on then looking to work a position to get Watkins one on one with Romero. Except it didn’t work and we seemed to get Bailey one on one with der Ven and he was useless. They realised we were passive and really pressed us second half and Konsa and Cash got overrun and we ended up throwing it away. Hey ho onto Thursday.

It isn't ridiculous.  The tactics were working just fine first half and would've continued to work had we not shat the bed and let James Maddison, hardly Peter Withe, to get between 2 defenders with a header and then followed it up with an individual error that a school boy would be embarrassed with.  Those things weren't tactical in nature, they were shit defending. 

That's all true, but it's still on the manager. If you send a team out that prioritises not conceding over trying to win, you'd better hope it doesn't concede, because you look like a terrified bed-shitter when it doesn't work.

[Risso]

I don't know what game people were watching, the tactics were an abomination. We were playing a team below us in the table, not Barcelona, and we didn't have a shot on target. We hadn't kept a clean sheet at home since before Christmas, and they hadn't not scored away since last season, so it was only a matter of time. McGinn was looking OK, but other than that every single played looked awful. They won't have an easier game all season.

[john e]

The ridiculous thing on reflection is that the first half tactics were sort of working, admittedly it made for a turgid affair, but it seems to me we were inviting Spurs on then looking to work a position to get Watkins one on one with Romero. Except it didn’t work and we seemed to get Bailey one on one with der Ven and he was useless. They realised we were passive and really pressed us second half and Konsa and Cash got overrun and we ended up throwing it away. Hey ho onto Thursday.

It isn't ridiculous.  The tactics were working just fine first half and would've continued to work had we not shat the bed and let James Maddison, hardly Peter Withe, to get between 2 defenders with a header and then followed it up with an individual error that a school boy would be embarrassed with.  Those things weren't tactical in nature, they were shit defending. 

That's all true, but it's still on the manager. If you send a team out that prioritises not conceding over trying to win, you'd better hope it doesn't concede, because you look like a terrified bed-shitter when it doesn't work.

even the Spurs fans on my social media are saying why didnt they come at us, we just picked them off because of there negative set up
then you have people on here saying it was working, working my arse was it
absolute surrender thats what it was and we got exactly what we deserved

[john e]

I don't know what game people were watching, the tactics were an abomination. We were playing a team below us in the table, not Barcelona, and we didn't have a shot on target. We hadn't kept a clean sheet at home since before Christmas, and they hadn't not scored away since last season, so it was only a matter of time. McGinn was looking OK, but other than that every single played looked awful. They won't have an easier game all season.

agreed
Pao was the only other progressive player for me but it was a total shambles

[Risso]

even the Spurs fans on my social media are saying why didnt they come at us, we just picked them off because of there negative set up
then you have people on here saying it was working, working my arse was it
absolute surrender thats what it was and we got exactly what we deserved

Exactly right, it was gutless and brainless. When was the last time that 5 at the back actually worked? Does Emery not remember Spurs away, Liverpool, Forest and Brentford (the latter losing until he changed it)?

[Chris Smith]

I don't know what game people were watching, the tactics were an abomination. We were playing a team below us in the table, not Barcelona, and we didn't have a shot on target. We hadn't kept a clean sheet at home since before Christmas, and they hadn't not scored away since last season, so it was only a matter of time. McGinn was looking OK, but other than that every single played looked awful. They won't have an easier game all season.

If we haven’t kept a clean sheet for months then I’m not sure why trying to do something about it by playing an additional defenders is an abomination rather than a legitimate attempt to fix it.

[john e]

it was denial yesterday

and its full on anger today, i might skip the bargaining bit for a bit more anger and then go straight to depression

[AV82EC]

Emery is known for doing this though. There are coaching manuals written about how he uses the oppositions press to create space for his attackers. Unfortunately yesterday we had two attackers who were absolutely useless at exploiting the 1-1 battles with Romero and Der Ven in the first half. Tottenham do commit players to the press and it does leave their 2 CBs exposed, we just didn’t exploit it with poor distribution from mid field and lack of composure and clinical play from Watkins/Bailey.

[Drummond]

The ridiculous thing on reflection is that the first half tactics were sort of working, admittedly it made for a turgid affair, but it seems to me we were inviting Spurs on then looking to work a position to get Watkins one on one with Romero. Except it didn’t work and we seemed to get Bailey one on one with der Ven and he was useless. They realised we were passive and really pressed us second half and Konsa and Cash got overrun and we ended up throwing it away. Hey ho onto Thursday.

It isn't ridiculous.  The tactics were working just fine first half and would've continued to work had we not shat the bed and let James Maddison, hardly Peter Withe, to get between 2 defenders with a header and then followed it up with an individual error that a school boy would be embarrassed with.  Those things weren't tactical in nature, they were shit defending.

I think that's it. Individual errors. Gets us time after time unfortunately.

[john e]

I don't know what game people were watching, the tactics were an abomination. We were playing a team below us in the table, not Barcelona, and we didn't have a shot on target. We hadn't kept a clean sheet at home since before Christmas, and they hadn't not scored away since last season, so it was only a matter of time. McGinn was looking OK, but other than that every single played looked awful. They won't have an easier game all season.

If we haven’t kept a clean sheet for months then I’m not sure why trying to do something about it by playing an additional defenders is an abomination rather than a legitimate attempt to fix it.

throwing another defender on in the back line to stop us conceding never works, just like yesterday you invite the pressure and pay the price

[Gareth]

And he's right, it doesn't define our season.

We stifled them in the first half, knowing what they are like, in the same way we stifled Man City, and then held out against Arsenal.

It didn't work out in the end yesterday (by a long way), and we're all sore as a result. But we've seen this team bounce back strongly after defeats, and I expect the same on Thursday and Sunday. However, Sunday's game is likely to be a game of attrition and we need to look at how we set up in midfield.

I agree, thought at half time how closely matched the two teams had been….

As you say it’s the bounce back now, Thursday night we need a big one, hopefully being under lights we’ll have an atmosphere too and be all in it together.

Bonus for Sunday is we both have to play Thursday night…let’s hope for no more 5 at the back and come Sunday it’s a four with Torres and Konsa back as centre backs

[Drummond]

Bailey was just off it yesterday (physically, mentally, and performance), Watkins was clattered early on, and he wasn't on it either, which made things difficult.

With the form they've been in, I'd have expected them to pose far more of a threat.

[Risso]

I don't know what game people were watching, the tactics were an abomination. We were playing a team below us in the table, not Barcelona, and we didn't have a shot on target. We hadn't kept a clean sheet at home since before Christmas, and they hadn't not scored away since last season, so it was only a matter of time. McGinn was looking OK, but other than that every single played looked awful. They won't have an easier game all season.

If we haven’t kept a clean sheet for months then I’m not sure why trying to do something about it by playing an additional defenders is an abomination rather than a legitimate attempt to fix it.

It hasn't worked any other time he's tried it.