Are you worried?

[SaddVillan]

We seem to have lost our mojo.

Unai needs a serious think about out shape and style of play.

Have they performed above themselves in the last 2 seasons and are returning to their norm?

Is it just a dip in form - individually or collectively?

We seem to have become much more passive this season -  by design, or have we been worked out?

There's no accounting for Mings' brain fart today - not something that Emery can be blamed for.

Consistency is the hardest thing to achieve in football.

Pretty sure Unai & Co will be burning the midnight oil trying to analyse why and how we've dropped our performance levels.

[tomd2103]

We seem to have lost our mojo.

Unai needs a serious think about out shape and style of play.

Have they performed above themselves in the last 2 seasons and are returning to their norm?

Is it just a dip in form - individually or collectively?

We seem to have become much more passive this season -  by design, or have we been worked out?

There's no accounting for Mings' brain fart today - not something that Emery can be blamed for.

Consistency is the hardest thing to achieve in football.

Pretty sure Unai & Co will be burning the midnight oil trying to analyse why and how we've dropped our performance levels.

I just think too many are off form at the moment.  Actually thought we started OK tonight with only a couple making a few errors.  By the end of the half though, most of them were giving possession away far too easily. 

I think it could be a tough couple of months ahead, with a late push towards the end of the season. 

[Demitri_C]

Players off form, some think they can play crap and stay in team, havent strengthened the first team since last year and havent addressed the right back issue.

Some of the key issues we are having at the moment. It feels like we blew a massive opportunity to kick on but we look worse than last season

[Deano's Mullet]

I can't remember so much moaning online from Villa fans. Even when we had a genuinely shit team. Social media is poisonous this morning.

[PaulWinch again]

I’m not thrilled by performances of late and as I’ve said I think lack of midfield control is the primary issue. But some of the reactions, even when people have had a chance to calm down post game, are mad. Questioning the character of players, questioning Unai’s capability etc. Unai needs to address some things, but I’m sure he can. Bloody hell.

[Clampy]

I understand the immediate post match anger, especially when it was as piss poor as last night but yes, I agree. I think the worst are the ones who barely say a word when we win but are all over this place like a rash when we lose.

[London Villan]

We've had pretty much a steady upward trajectory since Unai took over, these last two weeks are the first proper bump (and none of it is terminal to our season).

The performances against Bayen, Bologna and Fulham show what this squad is capable of, so it's down to Emery and his team to ensure we hit those heights again.

[Risso]

I’m not thrilled by performances of late and as I’ve said I think lack of midfield control is the primary issue. But some of the reactions, even when people have had a chance to calm down post game, are mad. Questioning the character of players, questioning Unai’s capability etc. Unai needs to address some things, but I’m sure he can. Bloody hell.

He needs to sort the defence. It's been miles below par for getting towards a year now.

[Proposition Joe]

I'm a Villa fan, of course I'm worried. In my Villa supporting life I've seen us go from title challengers to relegation contenders in double quick time, more than once. There is always this nagging doubt that good times are only ever fleeting.

I didn't see last night thankfully but I saw Spurs and Bournemouth. It was the losing control that cost us both games. We need to find a way to own that midfield again.

[john e]

theirs a simple explanation for me, we've become to big for our boots

i've noticed especiallly watching live the central defenders strolling around in a arrogant fashion as if they are Baresi/Maldini,
out of Mings, Carlos, Konsa and Torres theres only one of them that can properly play and thread a ball through to the midfield regulary and thats Torres and even he's giving it away in stupid positions now, just do the job you can do and not the one you cant
Konsa passes the ball back to the goalie more than any other defender in the prem league, Carlos always good for a blooper and Mings well last night says it all, yet they stride about thinking they've made it,
 they are decent defenders all with their qualities but they think playing Champs league now they are above it all, you can see it the way they play the ball around and getting no where, playing out from the back means just that playing OUT were playing back from the back normally at the start of games it does my head in

i dont know if the conserving energy is a thing but either way its producing walking football for the over 50's, were walking around thinking were an elite Italian team of the 1990's, the balls not moving forward fast enough, it was for most of last season but we've slowed it down to snails pace were not creating chances and the football has become boring to watch its not working, we need to get our zip back

we havent won a single thing in 28 years but all of a sudden the domestic cup competion is below us, 10 changes and no bench and half the fan base couldnt care less because we've got bigger fish to fry, what a load of bollocks
once you start believing the domestic cups are not worth the effort your fucked, absolutely fucked we are no where near that level yet
and the billy big bollocks attitude has set in and were out of the cup and losing games

to many players have gone off the boil, and we need to get back to form by being humble, hungry and moving that ball quicker through midfield like we know we can
i'm not pesimistic Unai will sort it i'm sure but we need to drop this arrogant attitude which has pervaded recent games and get back to playing progresive front foot football against evey team not just the Bayerns of this world when it suits

[Sexual Ealing]

Yes John! My personal solution would be to ban all media interviews. Whenever there's a buzz about us we inevitably go to shit immediately. It's always been the way.

[Villan82]

Bravo John e. Great post. Very well put.

You can add the Chris Heck agenda to the list and all. Where we can bend the truth with our own fans in chasing the almighty dollar.

[Proposition Joe]

Speaking of Chris Heck agenda, I see we just announced our official Vodka partner. These performances are nothing but his dastardly plot to drive us into buying crates of the stuff to numb the sadness.

[murgsy]

I knew this was gonna come at some point - but I thought it would be much later. Pre-season was a warning. Not the results as much as the performances. There are four issues that I think make Unai's life difficult atm. He has made mistakes for sure but isn't helped by the issues below:

- the RB issues is putting the whole back line under pressure - they did try to get the young Dutch guy but couldn't afford in the end. there is no consistent back 4 formula
- the DCM role Onana plays is different than Kamara - Onana is good (maybe better going forward than Kamara but not as good defensively) - so we are exposed there.
- no wingers - Bailey is currently so bad, if I would be coaching I would plan anyone else but him and Philogene might juts be a bad re-signing
- Ollie is not at the races; I think it's confidence - same thing happened when Ings was signed

Positives
- Duran - but he is still best as an impact sub
- Rogers - will be brilliant, complete player
- Thielemans works his socks off and has bags of ability -he is the maestro
- Barclay - very useful and seems to do well what he is asked to
- Matsen - very exciting - I would play him as a winger with Digne behind him

[Skerra]

John, that could have been me writing what you have. Agree entirely. Vincent Kompany, being a poor coach, didn’t look at any videos to see how to beat Villa. He played exactly the wrong tactics and we deservingly won the match. Bayern players stood off us and paid the price. Other managers have worked us out and, as we play between our back 4 and goalkeeper, the opponents just get back into shape and so make it difficult for us to get anywhere. Playing around at the back is fine as long as you then play a sharp pass to a midfielder who in turn can run at their defence. Our play is much too slow for that to happen so, unless we come up with a plan B, don’t expect too much anytosoon.