Aston Villa v Bournemouth Post Match Thread.

[VillaTim]

Does Hawkeye only cover the goal ?

[SaddVillan]

Only works between the sticks.

[SoccerHQ]

We're one point worse off than last season.

We need to win the next two to be ahead at 11 games.

This and Ipswich were definitely two points dropped.

I'm not too worried with things like that.

Last season was an exceptional opening first four-five months. Think we won eight straight at VP up to the Sheffield United game. However our form in the second half of the season balanced things out as it was little better than average.

With the squad we have now we shouldn't fade as much as we did then given the endless options. Only reason we might is if we do deep in CL or FA cup but that will be exciting enough in itself to paper over inconsistent league results.

[VillaTim]

Only works between the sticks.

Mostly 

[Ads]

The only be benchmarks of relevance is that 70 points is usually always being enough for 4th and a need to average 2 points a game to achieve it. Ta'da, we are and we look a really good side with plenty of depth. There's only the Man United game that stands out as one we didn't do enough to win so far this season. Arsenal, Ipswich and Bournemouth have all got away with it, massively.

Last November the sky was falling in for me against Forest away. I'm so mightily annoyed that a bunch if mistake bloggers had the temerity to do bugger all but be gifted a draw through our own largesse. I look forward to us laying waste to them later in the season.

Until we find a way to increase that killer instinct we invariably have most of the time, we won't challenge for the title. That's what today means.

[Demitri_C]

https://x.com/PLMatchCentre/status/1850185363219771805

Was ALL of the ball out of play?

Doesn't look wholly spherical to me (turn it through 90 degrees and look at it again).

The quality of the image is pretty poor. Surely the "wealthiest and biggest and best league in the world" can find better technology to employ across the grounds?

I literllay do not understand why this clear and obvious error for VAR to intervene. Even now i cant tell if 100% over line so why disallow it? Poor decision for var to get involved in my view.

[eamonn]

Easily the better side by a country mile all game.not buying all this Bournemouth deserved their point, they were shite and reliant on their keeper.

Those last 6 minutes were fucking brainless. We comfortably beat their press all game, so why are we knocking it long? They've created nothing from open play and not had an attempt on target second half, so why are we diving in, with men on the cover, to give them the percentage ball into the box? Stay on your fucking feet.

Emery will go mental. 2 points dropped.

You never credit the opposition!
Emery said we played excellent, bizarrely. Though did concede that we let them control the last 15 minutes.

[Nev]

The image they put on the screen looked like the ball was out.

However,  there is no way it would've been looked at had it been certain  other teams.....

[eamonn]

It feels to me like we have a much stronger squad this year compared to last season. Equally, however, I think our best eleven from September, October, November and December 2023 would beat us right now.

I don't know if it's a case of us not quite 'clicking' the same way we did 12 months ago or if, as some of us suspected, both Luiz and Diaby were real quality players to lose and possibly brought something to the pitch that has been difficult to replace. Edit, for example, it's the kind of game today where Luiz would pop up with a goal and maybe Diaby would have a burst of pace that could change the game.

I'm very happy overall, especially with us being so hard to beat, but it would be great to replicate that unbelievable form of 2023.

We look worse defensively than last year and i agree we are missing diaby and luizs goals/assists. Dont think we have really replaced diaby. Zero league goals for bidace so far and baileys the same.

Diaby wouldn't get in this team. Opposition players bounce off Rogers or they need to double and triple up on him. Diaby was as weak as piss and effective only when running onto the ball. How's he doing in Asia, by the way?

[Ads]

Easily the better side by a country mile all game.not buying all this Bournemouth deserved their point, they were shite and reliant on their keeper.

Those last 6 minutes were fucking brainless. We comfortably beat their press all game, so why are we knocking it long? They've created nothing from open play and not had an attempt on target second half, so why are we diving in, with men on the cover, to give them the percentage ball into the box? Stay on your fucking feet.

Emery will go mental. 2 points dropped.

You never credit the opposition!
Emery said we played excellent, bizarrely. Though did concede that we let them control the last 15 minutes.

I watched the game, what would I credit Bournemouth with? Their supposed effective press that we passed through easily all game? Their midfield that we cut through, all game? Their defence that exposed their keeper, most of the game?

Their limp effort to lay a glove on us first half? Their time wasting from the 50th minute on? Their non-existent threat second half?

I'll credit their number 2 between the sticks for having the best game of his career, they'll get nothing else because I saw nothing else worthy of anything but contempt,  the smash and grab wankers.

[eamonn]

Rogers finishing will be brought into question soon unless he starts converting .

Thought he looked very laboured today and missed a great chance first 10 mins. Unsurprising really as he had played every minute until today.
Bournemouth stayed in the game and were neat without really threatening. Their tactic to stop Pau having the ball and allowing Konsa to have it was pretty smart as we lacked the tempo he brings on the ball..
Those last 10 minutes defending a lead were probably our worst under Emery. We didn’t put any passes together at all.

We were poor for the last period but it wasn't a patch on the AWOL performances at Brighton and Palace at the end of last season, albeit with the team running on empty.

[eamonn]

You win some, you lose some.

That's what today felt like.

But neither of those things happened today!

[Ads]

Torres made 2 exquisite through balls that Pirlo would have had a semi over and cracked a shot from 25 yards. He was excellent. They tried to outmuscle him in the duels, but they seldom got in those positions and did absolutely nothing when they did win them.

We chucked that away. The game management in injury time, was moronic. The profligacy in front of goal stopped a stroll.

[rougegorge]

Bournemouth were intent on trying to stay close in the game but we can blame our finishing as much as their keeper for that. They were hardly contemptible for their approach though. You could say we were contemptible for changing our approach in the last 10 minutes when it made no sense.

A couple of their subs near the end did make a difference, whereas one or two of ours didn't.

[olaftab]

I am absolutely livid about today. We threw 2 points away via stupidity. Why the fuck did Emi started clearing the ball upfield instead of playing out in the last 10 plus injury time? Playing out would have retained possession and wasted more time. He did it time and again and every time it came back resulting in a corner or free kick for them. They scored from the third more or less identical free kick they had in that period. It was insanity pure insanity and it got what it deserved. Absolutely fucking annoying.