Aston Villa v Wolves Post-Match Thread

[eamonn]

For the 2nd week running another great comeback from the boys,

We've won our last two PL games after trailing at half-time, the same number of times we've done it in the last 99 top-flight games (D11, L86) when we were behind at the interval.

Thats an amazing stat

We were a terrible team for far too long. Any kid who got on board with us post-2010 deserves these glory days as much as any of our supporters.

[eamonn]

I have to say when villa scored all the goals yesterday the fans went nuts. Its been a while since i seen our fans go that mental.

Brilliant to see !

Huh? Last Saturday evening, the goal of the season led to limbs, surely?

[eamonn]

I don't think Baily was helped by getting smashed with an elbow to the face 30 seconds after coming on.

Looked more like a hand swatted in the eyes/nose which is what saved yer man from a second booking. Top player though, Ait-Nouri. If we weren't well-served at LB, I'd be keen on us going for him.

[eamonn]

Apparently our best start to a season since 1998/99.  Great that we didn't panic, great to have the quality of the likes of Barkley to bring on.   

The "best start to a season" stats are always quite rogue as no one really knows when the "start" of a season ends.

Unlike this season, we won our first four league games four years ago, in the full Covid-season (1-0 against t'Blades, 0-3 at Craven Cottage, 7-2 against well, you know who, and then last-gasp Barkley 1-0 at Lesta).

Our fifth game of that season saw us destroyed by Paddy Bamford at Villa Park but four stars out of five either way "and that's unheard of" (Arctic Monkeys' last decent song imo).

[villadelph]

Love this quote from Johnstone,

We’re playing against Villa at Villa Park, and we said at half-time it was going to be tough.

But no matter how much you brace yourself for it, once it starts, the waves start coming, and they score a goal that turns things.

We’re frightening.

[SoccerHQ]

Did someone on here at half time really say we have a thin squad?!

The subs made the difference as you'd expect them to. Maatsen, Bailey and Duran would all start for teams directly below us imo.

Now let's see some of these guys get a prem start in the near future as they're earning the right from the bench most weeks.

Yeah I said that - and although I was clearly the first person that has over reacted on a match thread - I do have some concern. Being able change things up from the bench is clearly an improvement - but all out competitors can do that and it’s how the game is now played.  the point I was trying to make is we’re asking about 17 players to perform at ucl most weeks - and it is a big ask.

We might have two great left backs - but we have 1 decent winger and he wasn’t playing because he was coming back from injury.  Mean while we have McGinn in an ineffective position because of this.  We also don’t have a right back of the required level and Carlos isn’t of the standard we need.  A couple of injuries or loss of form away from potentially struggling.  It’s amazing that we’re now in a position where we can play badly go behind and still win - there are a lot tougher tests to come.

The squad is clearly the best we could assemble given the circumstances - but over the summer Monchi talked of having two starting 11 without a drop off in quality and although we have that in a couple of key positions were aren’t in others.

Where do you think SJM should play to be more effective? Instead of Tielemans, Onana, Ramsey, Rogers?

I think the point is we shouldnt neccessarily be playing all of them every week as we risk getting to the end of the season and being knackered like we did last year. 

That's a fair point. I was surprised yesterday we didn't make 2-3 changes to the starting 11 and said as much at half time as first half we were a yard off things and could've been more than a goal down.

I think as the season goes on we'll see Duran, Maatsen and Barkley start more prem games as what they're giving off the bench currently is enough to turn around losing positions.

If we still had Diaby then he could've gone over to the right to cover Bailey's injury but we had to accept what was offered and instead hope Jaden Philogene develops as the season goes on. Currently him and Ned aren't deemed quite ready and getting the Tim treatment.

[Mister E]

The issue was with John McGinn playing wide right and Konsa at right back. Konsa  is not an attacker in that position and he was worried about Carlos, McGinn was  not worried about Konsa and that left lot of space for Ait-Nouri to exploit. Furthermore McGinn does not provide  attacking threat when playing there all he does is  receive turn back and pass to a defender or midfielder, again Ait-Nouri was not under pressure. Introduction of Bailey changed that. Wolves rather than just concentrating on our left side attacks had to move to cover against Bailey. Ait-Nouri dropped back and so did rest of their defence and midfield. After that it was just a matter of time.....

If we are going to play McGinn on the right, I'd like to see Nedeljkovic at RB, for his pace and overlapping qualities.
And I take the point made by others above, that Bailey's role was to draw the defenders away and create space for Rogers et al. It worked!!

[Pat McMahon]

It was brilliant so see those changes yesterday. Bailey, whilst not having a stellar impact per se kept Ait Nouri on the back foot and nullified a first half threat. In doing so he freed up space for Rogers. Barkley had a very good impact and I think his simple passing allowed Tielemans to have more impact going forward, and Maatsen once again provided pace and revitalized our left side. Our subs gave Wolves problems to solve, their subs just replaced tired players with lesser quality.

There were a lot of Wolves fans on the train to Witton and they were very full of it , making it clear they really don’t like us, nearly as much as they hate the Albion. I said to Chico Hamilton that they would be really up for it and I felt that showed for the whole of the first half. We don’t seem to approach this fixture with the derby mentality that they do. I think the players and coaching team deserve massive credit for the way we turned this game around. It’s wonderful to feel that being a goal down doesn’t mean a lost cause, as Brazilian Villa’s stats showed earlier.

[VillaTim]

Everton & Wolves are the bottom 2 teams though so we just need to keep that in mind. We've made heavy weather of both games in reality .

[PaulWinch again]

That’s a fair point. We did great to come back, but we need to stop conceding so many goals, and soft ones at that. It will start to cost us if it continues.

[rob_bridge]

What I love most is that Unai sees it the same as us. Literally called the 1st half for what it was..... Shit! 

The other main difference is that unlike pretty much ALL of our previous managers, he has the ability and tactical nous to effect change and turn the result around during a match, rather than just stating the bloody obvious in post match interviews as to what 'could have been'.

We really have hit the jackpot with this fella, and I'm starting to think.... could we?? 👀

On the beeb site one of the Doghead fans said - main difference yesterday was Emery made changes and O'Neil didn't know how to respond.

[Demitri_C]

I have to say when villa scored all the goals yesterday the fans went nuts. Its been a while since i seen our fans go that mental.

Brilliant to see !

Huh? Last Saturday evening, the goal of the season led to limbs, surely?

I think fans were just amazed by that one. Alot of fans were just speechless but the goals here fans went berserk

[olaftab]

Everton & Wolves are the bottom 2 teams though so we just need to keep that in mind. We've made heavy weather of both games in reality .

Yes but we have the same number of points from those two as we did beating 115C and Arsenal last season. Only thing I will bear in mind is two wonderful wins.

[Percy McCarthy]

Everton & Wolves are the bottom 2 teams though so we just need to keep that in mind. We've made heavy weather of both games in reality .

We drew at home against the bottom team last season. Progress.

[Toronto Villa]

Everton & Wolves are the bottom 2 teams though so we just need to keep that in mind. We've made heavy weather of both games in reality .

We found a way to win both games. We’re not Man City, Arsenal or Liverpool in terms of overall talent or depth. So for us to keep manufacturing victories from losing positions is exceptional. Something we couldn’t do at all in the past. I’d rather keep that in mind.