Manchester City vs Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[JUAN PABLO]

If Watkins had missed those chances last night I can imagine the grief he would be getting.

what chances?      rashford was unlucky with the post and the rounding of the keeper , didnt see any chances easily missed or for Asensio.

the defence cost us the defeat .

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No where near bold enough against a side incapable of laying a glove on us.

I dont expect Man City to be this poor again, but that doesn't seem to bother us at home when we go for them and beat them.

One day we'll go to Manchester and play our own game, disconnected from the name of the team we're playing. That day better be 25th May 2025.

[Monty]

I'd rather say the midfield cost us, or even better the whole strategy for playing through their pressing game. It failed, and the defence was put under too much pressure and eventually cracked at the last. Despite the mistake or two involved in the goal, they shouldn't have had to spend that much time running backwards - eventually they were likely to get through.

[JUAN PABLO]

If Unai went for a point last night , Mings is the man for that , you play Pau if you want to win it with his passing ,  you play Mings cause  he just gobbles everything up. 

Maybe he was going for a win and then was trying to hang on at the end , as others have said , put Disasi as CB and switch Konsa to RB .

You also know if that Maatsen running down the wing like doku was , he would have been taken out by a city player and took a yellow .

[jon collett]

Disappointed we copied the PSG away strategy. That’s my biggest frustration. I don’t think it suits us at all.

I’d hope for Mings, McGinn and Watkins to start on Saturday. Now. A bit worried that Rogers may  be overplayed.

Asensio seems to have lost his poise for a while. I like Rashford commitment but I think the team v Newcastle is the way forward.

Emi has parried shots all season. Not sure why.

Such a shame as we seemed to be the form side of the whole League until last night.

I don’t have the stats but it feels like we are always likely to ship a couple of goals with Torres whatever he adds to our attacking play. Mings and Konsa seemed to be formed a great understanding.

So frustrated with PSG away and last night . We seem to lack self belief to play our own game.

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We're an infinitely better side when we swing for the fences. We're Bazball, we're a honey badger, we're infinitely better on the front foot going at you. We had a better squad and XI than Man City last night. We didn't play like we believed that.

[JUAN PABLO]

No belief last night at all.

[oldhill_avfc]

Ok... so...

We now have (pretty much) just one game a week until the end of the season, so there is no reason not to play our best defence (injuries permitting) and that is Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne.

We also perform better, unsurprisingly, when we have time to prepare for games - the lower intensity schedule will help that...

After a bright start, our Jan signings have all taken a bit of a dip or disappeared totally - while they have served a purpose, I  don't think I would be starting any of them in the coming games.

5 (hopefully 6) winnable games. We need to be on the front foot in all of them.

And please, please Unai - never play Desasi at right-back again.

I don’t think the point about the January signings is accurate. Asensio was very good against Newcastle on Saturday, he hasn’t scored for a few games, but his movement on and off the ball is excellent. Rashford scored last night, hit the post and was unlucky not to score from a tight angle after rounding the keeper. He was also excellent against PSG last week. Malen has 3 goals in the last few league games and has started to look a player.
All of them have an important contribution to make in the 5, hopefully 6 games we have left this season.

Perhaps the sentiment ought to be that the 3 major January signings have a role to play until the end of the season.

But the jury is out with regard to them having shown enough to warrant making the signings permanent?

[john e]

Once your mindset is settling for a point your in trouble
We’ve never been good at seeing games out, it’s set in our DNA our psyche to blow it late on and it’s something even Unai hasn’t been able to get on top of

Others have said it’s about belief and I think that’s true
The fans had more belief in the team than the players/manager did last night

[VillaTim]

seemed like we didn't have a go 2nd half at all really .

[Rigadon]

I can definitely see the points about mentality, which are backed up by the evidence of there being too many late goals against this season, but the players must be tired, physically and mentally after such a run of games too.  We've been so good of late it was disappointing to see us being so conservative, especially in the second half.   

[London Villan]

Reminded me of the Arsenal away match last season - but with a different outcome. It could have been the defining game in our run-in.

[brontebilly]

I'm aware that one mistake is all it takes at the very top level but it wasn't as if Doku was skipping past Disasi every time he got the ball, he did it once, that was enough and Disasis's body shape was awful for that but I feel there still should have been enough cover to do a better job of preventing the goal.

All in all, a pretty poor game with few chances. Fine margins.

I alluded to that in my post a page or so back, once he’d skinned Disasi what the fuck were the rest of them doing?

Torres did all he could to avoid a chance of an own goal on the cross, gutless frankly. Digne caught on his heels at back post. Not sure exactly where Konsa our RCB went to or Kamara even. Awful goal to concede.

But you could see why Guardiola put on Doku to target Disasi. Doku is a bit brain dead I find but they were trying to draw Disasi away from the safety of the 18 yard box into positions he simply isn't comfortable, full back.

The first one was terrible too, after such a strong start. Cash caught initially far too narrow on the first ball, an error you would typically see Konsa/Disasi/Mellberg/Cuellar make but Cash should have no excuse. He's usually tight there so it stops the winger getting a run on him to start with. Didn't happen and he gets skinned. Not sure what Konsa is at on the cross, sits up lovely for Silva to finish but he makes a mess of it. Martinez somehow throws it in when he could have put his cap on it.

[SamTheMouse]

I think we're a better side with Watkins up front than Rashford, who's an inside forward not a centre forward.

[oldhill_avfc]

I think we're a better side with Watkins up front than Rashford, who's an inside forward not a centre forward.

We're a better side with Mings, McGinn and Watkins in.  And therein lies the next challenge.  How do you replace these players over the next couple of years and stay with FFP?

Rashford, Ascensio, Disasi, Torres and Onana, as useful as they are, have not proven to be a clear upgrade on what we already have.