Reflections on Conference League

[Matt C]

Disappointed of course but this isn’t an ending, it’s just the beginning. Two more games to get out just reward for an excellent season.

[olaftab]

Fucked the coaches off and in a taxi back to the bar. I intend to salute this European adventure in the best possible way, but drinking my body weight in gin. Fucking love the Villa.

That holdback in the car park was insane. Apparently police riders were not available to escort coaches back to the pick up venue.

[KRS]

Very proud and delighted with what this squad of players have achieved this season, but as we’ve seen many times this season, we aren’t good enough to carry this many injuries or when our main players are out of form. We’re literally the walking wounded with a patched up side, players carrying injuries, players playing out of position, and dead on their feet with the schedule. These last few games have been a few games too far for this squad…and as much as I’d love us to put in an amazing end of season win against Liverpool under the lights,  unfortunately I can only see a couple of more defeats on the cards unless a few players come back and are actually fit enough to play to their ability. As such, we’ll be relying on other teams to do their business to get us over the line to finish 4th. We’ll just have to see how this pans out over the next few weeks…I’ll be totally disappointed and gutted if we don’t do it but I’ll also understand the reasons why if we don’t. UTV.

[LeonW]

Really torn on this. On the one hand I get the injuries and fatigue argument, plus first season back in Europe, managing a cup run with being on the cusp of CL qualification for the first time and a season to remember.

But there‘s a the nagging feeling that we should have done better in the semi finals in a competition we were favourites for although we’ve largely been playing Europa level opposition. We’ve been turned around a bit too easily at points. Olympiakos most effective tactic being the big switch out to Pondence and him just shifting and playing balls across. The lack of attacking quality from us at most moments in the final third was very disappointing. It wasn’t just a few times. It was almost constant.

[Nelly]

I am fiercely proud of Villa, for the first time in a long time. Our players have given everything this season in a way I've rarely seen before. Emery has so hugely overachieved to get a group of players on the cusp of the relegation spots to potentially forth and a European semifinal.

When we were shite, I used to dream we could have a team that would just look interested, so yes we're out and that's that, but we gave it everything we had and I love them for that.

We're a club on the up and we're just getting started.

[Rigadon]

We didn’t play badly in either leg.  They had every single bounce of the ball and decision.  Finish the job in the league now and we can all be outrageously proud of the squad and staff for what’s been an amazing effort. 

[sid1964]

Did well in the 1st half - for me we needed a young Countinho type of player, to break down their 10 man defence when we were attacking

2nd half the game became more stop / start and fair play to them, they seemed more organised than us and were able to cope with our attacks.

Thought Cash did well and was our best attacking threat.

Hopefully the experience that the players have gained will help them with our European adventure next season, whichever tournament we are in.

[steamer]

Hard to be critical with our injuries etc,etc
But when your expectations are raised its difficult to not be disappointed.
But if we finish 4th, whole new chapter, to not be one season ponies like the Geordies the squad needs some serious upgrades. But I think that is in the plan.
This adventure will be seen as the start of the journey.

[algy]

Safe journey home Ads, olaftab, and everyone else who went.

I'm disappointed that I'm not now planning my own trip over to Athens. But those players have given everything this season, it's been a marvellous adventure, and they can hold their heads up high in a way that many Villa teams over the last 10 or so years haven't been able to.

This is the best Villa side since 1996 now, undoubtedly, and had it not been for some absolutely awful luck with injuries I'm sure we'd be in the final and saying it was the best Villa team since 1982.

[Rico]

Interesting that in the quarter final and semi final, both Lille and Olympiacos had no competitive fixtures on the weekend before both games. I think that helped massively, and when you take into the fatigue that the players undoubtedly were feeling and the limited squad options that we had it is hardly surprising that we struggled so much over all four legs. Food for thought for the Premier League? Nah, don't think so!

[Ian.]

Hopefully they have gained great experience from this and our travelling supporters have enjoyed it. It’s a huge step in the right direction.

Too many below par performances to get over the line but all in all we must learn from this experience, the manager included. He needs to identify the areas to make us compete with the best. A fully fit and performing team and we can, but an injury or two and a couple off form and our whole game changes.

Last night we missed the drive of Ramsey or Rogers. Bailey’s running on empty, he hasn’t looked as fluid and sharp lately which is no surprise. Digne and Cash seemed were well off the quality needed too.

We’ve missed Mings massively all season, his commanding influence and his positioning make us far more solid. Our defence has been really ropey all season, probably down to unfortunate tinkering due to injuries and not enough choices, especially in the right back position.

[Demitri_C]

Down to our last 11 senior players, some playing out of position, all mentally exhausted. It’s the alertness of thought, and sharpness of passing that has deserted us. It’s the definition of hitting the wall.

It’s genuinely perplexing to me that intelligent people can’t see this.

Yep, me too.

Yes but two of them we knew about after the 1st game. I think we should have added more bodies esp at right back.

With JJ all season he has been out not sure why he didnt try get a loan back or get sanson back if we didnt want to sign anyone. We let dendonker go and got no one in.

We recall kesler and dont give him any minutes instead playing konsa at rb where he is doing his best but lets be really he is pretty shite there.

Yes fatigue has been a issue, but we were poorly prepared for any potential advancement in europe for injuries. Playing 52 games maybe 53 of we got to final we should have been prepared or slowly implemented some youngsters in to help. Not just play same players every week and they picking up injuries e.g rodgers (how much did we miss him last night?)

[London Villan]

When Cash did pass forward we created stuff, but so many times he stopped the attacked and passed back.

At a minimum this squad needs a first choice right back, first choice defensive midfielder and a back-up keeper…

[Baldy]

Really torn on this. On the one hand I get the injuries and fatigue argument, plus first season back in Europe, managing a cup run with being on the cusp of CL qualification for the first time and a season to remember.

But there‘s a the nagging feeling that we should have done better in the semi finals in a competition we were favourites for although we’ve largely been playing Europa level opposition. We’ve been turned around a bit too easily at points. Olympiakos most effective tactic being the big switch out to Pondence and him just shifting and playing balls across. The lack of attacking quality from us at most moments in the final third was very disappointing. It wasn’t just a few times. It was almost constant.

Exactly this.

[Clampy]

When Cash did pass forward we created stuff, but so many times he stopped the attacked and passed back.

At a minimum this squad needs a first choice right back, first choice defensive midfielder and a back-up keeper…

We do have a first choice defensive midfielder but he's  injured. Agree about the other two though.