Manchester City vs Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[kippaxvilla2]

Zaniolo can fuck right off. gutless cowardly bellend frightened of a fucking football 

Wow….I bet you were itching to insert word Italian in there?

No it was greasy and wop apparently.

[pauliewalnuts]

Diaby has started more league games this season than Bailey has, he was hardly chucking in an untried youth player. Maybe there has been illness issues, maybe Emery just though they were the better options for the team we had available/were facing. Talk of him chucking the game is absolute bonkers and based on nothing but frustration.

Absolutely. He will have put out the strongest team he was able to against that state funded sham of a football club. There's absolutely no way he would be thinking about surrendering a game when we're within touching distance of a top four finish with Spuds breathing right down our necks. Managing at this level sometimes means making difficult choices but a coach of Emery's standing will always be thinking about taking whatever is possible from every game. To suggest otherwise is ludicrous.

Do you honestly believe that?

Argue all you want about the merits of the decision and how it may have been for the best etc, but suggesting that was not a weakened team is what is ludicrous.

It's not ludicrous and I did not say it wasn't a weakened team. I'm saying he makes the calls depending on the circumstances. He decided to rest player's in the long term interests of the squad not to throw a game as plenty on here have suggested.

I'm sorry but that's not what you said at all.  I highlighted what you said and to me, that is ludicrous.

Surely that depends entirely on what the "was able to" part means, though?

"I don't feel able to play Tielemans because he's looking jaded in training (after playing for Belgium last week, too), I don't feel able to play Pau as he's not feeling 100%, I don't feel able to play Bailey because it's more urgent to limit his time here as he'll be crucial in the way I want to approach Brentford and Lille"

"Able" doesn't just mean able in terms of putting him on the pitch, it means able in terms of doing that given the remainder of the season and upcoming matches.

A bit like, I am "able" to go out and spend a shit ton of money on a new car at the moment, but I am certainly not "able" to do so if I want to manage my ongoing finances for the longer term.

[The Edge]

Diaby has started more league games this season than Bailey has, he was hardly chucking in an untried youth player. Maybe there has been illness issues, maybe Emery just though they were the better options for the team we had available/were facing. Talk of him chucking the game is absolute bonkers and based on nothing but frustration.

Absolutely. He will have put out the strongest team he was able to against that state funded sham of a football club. There's absolutely no way he would be thinking about surrendering a game when we're within touching distance of a top four finish with Spuds breathing right down our necks. Managing at this level sometimes means making difficult choices but a coach of Emery's standing will always be thinking about taking whatever is possible from every game. To suggest otherwise is ludicrous.

Do you honestly believe that?

Argue all you want about the merits of the decision and how it may have been for the best etc, but suggesting that was not a weakened team is what is ludicrous.

It's not ludicrous and I did not say it wasn't a weakened team. I'm saying he makes the calls depending on the circumstances. He decided to rest player's in the long term interests of the squad not to throw a game as plenty on here have suggested.

I'm sorry but that's not what you said at all.  I highlighted what you said and to me, that is ludicrous.

He will have put out the strongest team he was able to. What's hard to understand about that? It WAS a weakened team and it was his choice to rest a couple of players in the long term interests of the squad.

[Rigadon]

I don’t know. Dropping our two best (fit) players was odd.  He made that call knowing Martinez was out and obviously Watkins and McGinn.  So it does feel like he kind of threw the game.  The team didn’t play too badly, at least the first half and we do always, always lose there, so it’ll only be a decision that will be remembered if we don’t beat Brentford. 

He’s got plenty in the bank of course, but I did find it a weird thing to do. 

Martinez pulled out after the team was announced.

And he didn't "drop" our two best players. He may have decided they needed rest but they may have caught the same bug as Emi. Who knows? Emery does and he makes the necessary calls. Calls which have us in our best league position in donkeys years and we're in the QF of a European competition. All these inferences and snide comments that Emery intentionally threw the game are really starting to irritate me.

Snide?  That’s unfair and I’d ask you to wind your neck in a bit.  Emery is a genius and I love the guy.  But it *felt* to me like he threw it a bit.  If that irritates you so be it.

Wind my neck in? Lol. This is a comment's section where we agree and disagree on all things villa. And don't take it personal. When I said snide comment's read back on this thread. There's plenty of people saying he "threw the game" which is total bullshit. In my humble opinion.

Calling others who are also just commenting ‘snide’ is making it personal, no?  Was that team the strongest Emery could’ve played last night?  Nope.  Is Emery a genius who we’d be nowhere near 4th without, yep.  The two things are true.  So let’s call it ‘season management’ or something and hope we get a strong performance and result on the weekend (my bet is that we will)!

[The Edge]

Diaby has started more league games this season than Bailey has, he was hardly chucking in an untried youth player. Maybe there has been illness issues, maybe Emery just though they were the better options for the team we had available/were facing. Talk of him chucking the game is absolute bonkers and based on nothing but frustration.

Absolutely. He will have put out the strongest team he was able to against that state funded sham of a football club. There's absolutely no way he would be thinking about surrendering a game when we're within touching distance of a top four finish with Spuds breathing right down our necks. Managing at this level sometimes means making difficult choices but a coach of Emery's standing will always be thinking about taking whatever is possible from every game. To suggest otherwise is ludicrous.

Do you honestly believe that?

Argue all you want about the merits of the decision and how it may have been for the best etc, but suggesting that was not a weakened team is what is ludicrous.

It's not ludicrous and I did not say it wasn't a weakened team. I'm saying he makes the calls depending on the circumstances. He decided to rest player's in the long term interests of the squad not to throw a game as plenty on here have suggested.

I'm sorry but that's not what you said at all.  I highlighted what you said and to me, that is ludicrous.

Surely that depends entirely on what the "was able to" part means, though?

"I don't feel able to play Tielemans because he's looking jaded in training (after playing for Belgium last week, too), I don't feel able to play Pau as he's not feeling 100%, I don't feel able to play Bailey because it's more urgent to limit his time here as he'll be crucial in the way I want to approach Brentford and Lille"

"Able" doesn't just mean able in terms of putting him on the pitch, it means able in terms of doing that given the remainder of the season and upcoming matches.

A bit like, I am "able" to go out and spend a shit ton of money on a new car at the moment, but I am certainly not "able" to do so if I want to manage my ongoing finances for the longer term.

Thank you.

[chrisw1]

Leaving Bailey, Teilemans and Torres on the bench is not putting out the strongest team you are able to.  As I said, you can discuss the merits of resting players etc in the context of the season, but the post in question said it was ludicrous to suggest that wasn't the strongest team we were able to field.  That's clearly a daft statement.  Do you honestly think he would have put that team out if we were playing Brentford last night? 

[Lastfootstamper]

That line-up last night could beat Brentford.

[Rigadon]

Leaving Bailey, Teilemans and Torres on the bench is not putting out the strongest team you are able to.  As I said, you can discuss the merits of resting players etc in the context of the season, but the post in question said it was ludicrous to suggest that wasn't the strongest team we were able to field.  That's clearly a daft statement.  Do you honestly think he would have put that team out if we were playing Brentford last night? 

For what it’s worth, I agree.  No point in pretending last night wasn’t deemed as winnable as the next game (now even more so) is.

[PaulWinch again]

That line-up last night could beat Brentford.

Could, but not convinced would. Brentford showed against Manure they can bring plenty.

[Risso]

Calling others who are also just commenting ‘snide’ is making it personal, no?  Was that team the strongest Emery could’ve played last night?  Nope.  Is Emery a genius who we’d be nowhere near 4th without, yep.  The two things are true.  So let’s call it ‘season management’ or something and hope we get a strong performance and result on the weekend (my bet is that we will)!

Exactly. He 'could' have picked a stronger team, but chose not to. If we see the benefit of that against Brentford, then great. I don't think we'll see "internationals" like Olsen, Lenglet and Zaniolo starting against the Bees.

[Risso]

Leaving Bailey, Teilemans and Torres on the bench is not putting out the strongest team you are able to.  As I said, you can discuss the merits of resting players etc in the context of the season, but the post in question said it was ludicrous to suggest that wasn't the strongest team we were able to field.  That's clearly a daft statement.  Do you honestly think he would have put that team out if we were playing Brentford last night?

You are still missing the "able to" point. It was a weakened team and I think we all agree. Able to from Emery's perspective is different from able to in terms of ability. He's in the hot seat making tough decisions that he hopes we will reap the rewards from. He's done a pretty good job so far.

Absolutely nobody's denied he's done a very good job indeed. I just don't think dropping Pau and Bailey after one match following a two week break was the right thing to do. He was 'able' to play them, he chose not to.

[The Edge]

Calling others who are also just commenting ‘snide’ is making it personal, no?  Was that team the strongest Emery could’ve played last night?  Nope.  Is Emery a genius who we’d be nowhere near 4th without, yep.  The two things are true.  So let’s call it ‘season management’ or something and hope we get a strong performance and result on the weekend (my bet is that we will)!

Exactly. He 'could' have picked a stronger team, but chose not to. If we see the benefit of that against Brentford, then great. I don't think we'll see "internationals" like Olsen, Lenglet and Zaniolo starting against the Bees.

Pau in for Lenglet will likely be the only change at the back. After last night I finally have a bit of confidence in Olsen so if Emi doesn't make it I'm ok with that.

[Villa Lew]

If SJM, Ollie and Matty had been available, I could understand leaving out Pau, Leon and Youri, but playing Morgan who prior to the match had 2 league starts, Jhon with 1 and Tim his first start, seemed a big gamble, nevertheless we did ok, until they got their second. The second half was virtually all Man City, thanks to Olsen it wasn't more than 4. Still it was valuable experience for the youngsters and full credit to Olsen, probably MOTM.

[Somniloquism]

Wasn't quite even up to the 3rd? We had our only other two shots on target during that period, either one of which would have made it interesting again for the match overall. Then they scored the 3rd and the substitutions were made which took us out as an attacking force anymore.

[danno]

It’s not totally beyond the realms of possibility that Pau and Bailey have minor issues that need managing. I remember being surprised when Bailey went off against Man United and I think Pau managed 45 minutes when we played Forest at home.