Aston Villa vs Brentford Post-Match Thread

[Steve67]

Just watched the goals again and we were truly woeful defensively for all three of Brentford's goals.  Unai has recognised this and will do something about it.  It's great that we are all so disappointed with having only drawn a game, shows real progress.  I am a naturally defensive person and am still looking over the shoulder at other teams but still enjoying where we are in the league.  If we can tidy up the defending, concentrate more, get closer to their markers, we will be ok.  Losing Douglas for 2 games is a blow but I expect him to get up for the Lille games and make up for a daft booking.  To have so many players unavailable, we have done brilliantly to be where we are.

[London Villan]

The telling part in Unai’s interview was admitting it was a tactical problem, rather than individual errors that led to the goals.

[walsall villain]

It went from them sticking ten behind the ball and not even looking like scoring to them looking like scoring every time they went forward at 2-3 up. It was a massive clusterfuck of a nine minutes but at least we got something out of it.

Yes it was so strange. At half time I couldn’t see brentford scoring, quite a shock. It reminded me of the Forest game. Emery never blames injuries and suspensions but we are clearly weakened and what’s left of the squad are looking tired. Hopefully we can progress in Europe and hang on in there.

[Rudy65]

I have to say though i thought brentford were good today. They were very organised especially at the back.

I think their league position is a false postion. Mbeumlo looks like a top player
 Have always been impressed with him when ive seen him. Would love him here

Brentford were really good last week against Utd and should have won handsomely. Yes Utd are crap but still managed to take 6 points off us. Disappointing today but it isn’t over yet by a long shot

[aj2k77]

Our best centre back partnership is Konsa and Torres. Play them together.

[jon collett]

Ok the tactical thing I did wonder if Emery was telling Konsa to play so out of position and give them so much room out wide. It made little sense and Brentford worked it out.

Ok finishing 5th being an achievement - after the season we’ve had not finishing 4th has to be a disappointment.

And as for silly Small Heath chants yes this follows a long line of regrettable songs. By rights they aren’t our rivals and never were until 60s Evening Mail hype. But I fear that battle is gone now!

[dorsetvillian]

At 2-0 I was thinking what a professional job and how Uni could start resting players. It was then 9 minutes of utter madness that I don't think anyone if the 42K in the ground could have predicted. We are woeful at letting crosses into the box and defending them when they arrive. Uni and his coaches must know this but the same mistakes are being made week after week. It's strange because when Uni came in we were quite able to defend a 1-0 lead quite comfortably with a back 6 at times. At 2-0 we needed to just control the game and the 3 points were ours. To our credit the team did manage to force the equaliser and push for a winner but I do wonder if the manner of the collapse will be defining in the run in for fourth spot.

[Demitri_C]

Our best centre back partnership is Konsa and Torres. Play them together.

I think i would rather go with that and kesler at rb than that horror show back four.

It was truly awful 2nd half. School boy defending at times

[Somniloquism]

At 2-0 I was thinking what a professional job and how Uni could start resting players. It was then 9 minutes of utter madness that I don't think anyone if the 42K in the ground could have predicted. We are woeful at letting crosses into the box and defending them when they arrive. Uni and his coaches must know this but the same mistakes are being made week after week. It's strange because when Uni came in we were quite able to defend a 1-0 lead quite comfortably with a back 6 at times. At 2-0 we needed to just control the game and the 3 points were ours. To our credit the team did manage to force the equaliser and push for a winner but I do wonder if the manner of the collapse will be defining in the run in for fourth spot.

Although that was with a defence of Mings and Konsa with Cash as right back and Kamara just in front of them.

[VillaTim]

Our best centre back partnership is Konsa and Torres. Play them together.

It's actually Konsa / Mings . I like Torres ball playing ability but he's not a great defender , neither is DC. Lenglet is ok but has no presence.
The 1st half walking football approach to the game was poor in my opinion. It made it too easy for them to reserve energy levels and also turned the atmosphere to Library. You don't see the top teams playing at snails pace .

[LeonW]

Konsa was terrible second half, and it cost us big time. He’s experienced enough not to perform like that, but in his defence, if he’d been in his natural CB position, with Cash at RB, Brentford wouldn’t have got a sniff.

We live and learn. I disagree with some opinions that we should be grateful of where we are - No we shouldn’t. That’s the difference between winners and losers, and I’m sure the players will be as frustrated, if not more, than we are by how things are panning out recently.

We could have been top at Xmas but shit the bed against the league’s bottom side, and we had our strongest side out today against one of the league’s most out of form sides….  and ballsed it up again.

Hopefully the experiences of this season will put us in good stead for the future, but it does give off that feeling of ‘oh what could have been’.

I still think we’ll finish 4th. If it wasn’t Spurs chasing us, I’d maybe be a little more concerned…. But it’s Spurs.

Onto Lille and a result which will hopefully put us within reach of a European semi.

UTV

I completely agree with your sentiment. We might be ahead of schedule but you grasp the opportunities that present themselves. We’ve got ourselves into a fantastic position and to blow it would be a huge disappointment. Losers just accept the pat on the head. If people are happy enough with that, then that’s  their choice and is fair enough but I personally want more.

[Ian.]

At 2-0 I was thinking what a professional job and how Uni could start resting players. It was then 9 minutes of utter madness that I don't think anyone if the 42K in the ground could have predicted. We are woeful at letting crosses into the box and defending them when they arrive. Uni and his coaches must know this but the same mistakes are being made week after week. It's strange because when Uni came in we were quite able to defend a 1-0 lead quite comfortably with a back 6 at times. At 2-0 we needed to just control the game and the 3 points were ours. To our credit the team did manage to force the equaliser and push for a winner but I do wonder if the manner of the collapse will be defining in the run in for fourth spot.

Although that was with a defence of Mings and Konsa with Cash as right back and Kamara just in front of them.

We’ve missed Mings massively and obviously our worry before losing Kamara the stand-in would have always been a big downgrade. We knew we may have the odd game without him, but to lose him for as long as we have is a nightmare.

[ChicagoLion]

It’s fatigue, we have no or few options.
We have done brilliantly to get where we are but the injuries and lack of squad depth is now impacting on our season.
We will do well to finish 5th.

[Somniloquism]

It’s fatigue, we have no or few options.
We have done brilliantly to get where we are but the injuries and lack of squad depth is now impacting on our season.
We will do well to finish 5th.

So when we lose all our remaining matches, which of 1 win in the last 5 Manure, or one win in the last five WHAM will gain the neccessary 12-13 points to go above us?

[The Edge]

Brentford are like an irritating rash that just won't go away