Young Boys vs Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[PaulWinch again]

Demetri, be honest if it were the other way round you’d be lauding the decision.

[PeterWithesShin]

The only sour note for the visitors was an apparent second-half injury to Watkins, who was spotted wearing an ice pack around his ankle after being replaced by Duran on the hour mark.

[Olneythelonely]

The only sour note for the visitors was an apparent second-half injury to Watkins, who was spotted wearing an ice pack around his ankle after being replaced by Duran on the hour mark.

I assumed that is the injury he’s been nursing anyway. Hopefully not something else.

[Small Rodent]

It was way before the goal, it’s still a handball and they got two debatable free-kicks - it’s hardly compelling evidence of an attempt to “shaft” us.

If the game ended 2-2 you would be changing your tune. Lucky they were not very good and we were

How do you get to 2-2?! That’s quite a leap and either way the score line doesn’t change the fact that handball call was correct.

Yes. Very odd. Hallucinatory Discrimination.

[Risso]

I remember making a comment on the 'other games' thread when we were thereabouts under fistface in the second division, Liverpool were playing Man City in Europe and I said they were playing a different sport to the one we watched every week. We're playing the same one now.

Great post. I had similar thoughts when we came back up and Man City funeralled us 6-1 at home. I didn't think we'd ever get to a similar level as them.

[tomd2103]

Great start to the campaign.  Thought we looked more assured tonight than we did in the away ties last season and it was a comfortable win.  Still not sure about the decisions on both disallowed goals, but there you go.

I know it's one game, but I thought Onana had a good game tonight and brings something we have been missing in central midfield for some time.

[PaulWinch again]

The only sour note for the visitors was an apparent second-half injury to Watkins, who was spotted wearing an ice pack around his ankle after being replaced by Duran on the hour mark.

I assumed that is the injury he’s been nursing anyway. Hopefully not something else.

I’d assume it was when the keeper absolutely belted him.

[Percy McCarthy]

€2.1m prize money in the kitty for our win tonight.


Kerrrchinnng!

Oh yeah, forgot about that!

[AV82EC]

Just on the train back to Zurich.

Magnificent. Just magnificent.

[Risso]

How do you get to 2-2?! That’s quite a leap and either way the score line doesn’t change the fact that handball call was correct.

I think there is a legitimate question to ask about how many phases of play can elapse before it's consigned to history. What if we'd passed it back to Martinez, then done our usual keep ball and 30 odd passes before getting it forward and scoring?

[PaulWinch again]

Probably yeah, but what happened is quite different from that scenario.

[paul_e]

As much as how far it went back I can't work out how the ref didn't see the handball when it happened. I also agree with Demitri that he gave them some really soft free kicks early on. I don't think it was some great conspiracy, he was just a bit overwhelmed early on and then made a really bad mistake.

The only truly dodgy decision was the Watkins goal being disallowed. The only mitigation is if they did have the tech that detects the slightest of contact with the ball but even still it's a tough call against us.

[Risso]

Isn't it the case anyway that accidental handball by a team mate shouldn't lead to a goal being ruled out? Or are they arguing that it was deliberate by Onana?

[Dave]

How do you get to 2-2?! That’s quite a leap and either way the score line doesn’t change the fact that handball call was correct.

I think there is a legitimate question to ask about how many phases of play can elapse before it's consigned to history. What if we'd passed it back to Martinez, then done our usual keep ball and 30 odd passes before getting it forward and scoring?

There is, but in this case he won the ball, controlled it with his hand and twenty seconds later the ball was in the net.

So this particular example isn't the evidence for the need for the legitimate question to be raised.

[olaftab]

For a number of reasons it was really important we made a strong start and we’ve really delivered that. Away games in Europe are generally tough, to score a few goals and keep a clean sheet is massive.

They had a corner on or about 90 minutes and I didn’t care about 3-0 all I cared about was not conceding.  It’s important.