Manchester City vs Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[VillaTim]

We just didn't turn up 2nd half, against a very average C115y . And we ended up getting what we deserved .
That result is a huge blow .

[olaftab]

The changes should have come at least 20 minutes earlier. Very poor in-game managerment this time.

Very poor team selection. Man City were there for the taking and we set up for a point.

If we ere set up for a point it worked almost perfectly.w

[PeterWithe]

I don’t think i’ve been as pissed off with a goal as that one tonight, for a very long time.

I have a horrible feeling it will not only be pivotal for a 5th placed finish, but also the implications of no champions league football next season.

And I can’t sleep.

Yup thats my big fear as well, I think permanently getting the loanees's is dependent on CL qualification but its the others that worry me, we have a lot of players who were superb in the CL this year and will want to play in it again, whoever that's with. I suppose the comfort is that there aren't too many clubs who can offer CL football and the wages they are already on.

[Nii Lamptey]

Such a shite night. Made my way up there after recovering from a bout of manflu over the Easter weekend.

Watkins and Mings should have started. Rogers should have been rested. Malen should have been given most of the game to show what he's about.

Never want to see Disasi again - Especially at right back. Cost us a semi final spot in Paris, and probably cost us a CL spot next season. Get him back to Chelsea next month, and bring in someone better/more capable.

The remaining home crowd (*half were already making their way back to the airport) finally sing a song in the 94th minute and Pep is seen on the touchline applauding all 4 stands. Plastic squad, plastic manager, plastic fans, plastic stadium. Everything that is wrong with football, all under one roof.

God, I hope they have the fucking book thrown at them. They deserve everything they get.

**and you just know, that if we don't have CL football to offer our players next season, Pep and the like will come sniffing around Kamara and co in the summer.

[olaftab]

Asensio is a game maker not game changer. Subbing him on at 60 plus has not worked that well.

[Brend'Watkins]

I really thought we would have a go at them last night. It worked at home for the past two seasons and given you could only hear our fans, we should have pretended it was Villa Park.

Rogers was really poor and playing him was not only detrimental to last night's performance but he is not rested ahead of Saturday now, when we really need him to be at it. Not sure what is up with Emi, the first goal was a poor mistake and for the second, he either needs to come forward and claim it or stay on his feet and shuffle across to cover the near post. In the end, he just flopped over to his side. Bizzare.

It's hard to see a realistic route to top 5 from here after the results since Sunday. We'd better win the Cup.

Rogers should have been hooked at HT. He was having little to no influence on the game, JJ was making things happen. A strange substitution by Emery.  I know Rogers is the greater goal threat but he’s also something of a liability with the amount of times he can lose the ball in midfield.

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

The changes should have come at least 20 minutes earlier. Very poor in-game managerment this time.

Very poor team selection. Man City were there for the taking and we set up for a point.

If we ere set up for a point it worked almost perfectly.w

That’s the problem with setting up for a draw, things like last night happen. Unai can’t win either way as if we would have gone out all guns blazing he would have been accused of being too much on the front foot. Just a disappointing performance or attitude after the last two games. Still, I’m sure, they’ll be a few more twists and turns yet.

[VillaTim]

The changes should have come at least 20 minutes earlier. Very poor in-game managerment this time.

Very poor team selection. Man City were there for the taking and we set up for a point.

If we ere set up for a point it worked almost perfectly.w

That’s the problem with setting up for a draw, things like last night happen. Unai can’t win either way as if we would have gone out all guns blazing he would have been accused of being too much on the front foot. Just a disappointing performance or attitude after the last two games. Still, I’m sure, they’ll be a few more twists and turns yet.

We normally kick on 2nd half, instead we did nothing and let a poor team dominate us all over the pitch . Emery has to rotate therefore has to take risks with players , its just the way it is.

[PaulWinch again]

I don’t really understand setting up for a draw though - if it were the Citeh of previous seasons, absolutely anything there is a bonus. But this wasn’t the Citeh of previous seasons, they are fragile and even yesterday you saw the few times we did run at them they struggled.

I think Unai just got it wrong and didn’t set up a game plan for the actual side we were playing.

[VillaTim]

Asensio is a game maker not game changer. Subbing him on at 60 plus has not worked that well.

Worked perfectly vs BHA

[AV82EC]

Reading back some of the pre-match thoughts and quite a few people mentioned Pep overthinking it. I think we may have to realise that Unai was the one doing that last night with the way we set up and then executed the game. We just seem as a group to be unable to play the patient controlled style that Unai is demanding in these situations. With two tough games in the last 7 days it was maybe the right thing to do but handed the initiative to C115y and we seem utterly incapable of seeing this sort of game through this season with the numerous examples we’ve seen.

On a final point, Disasi had a mare with his defending in that one instance with Doku but from that point on what the fuck were the rest of them doing? No pressure from anyone out towards Doku (Konsa/Malen/Kamara) one ball then takes Konsa/Pau/Emi out of the game but what the fuck were Digne and McGinn doing at the back post. A total fuck up from everyone involved.

Anyway it’s still all to play for and win all 4 and you never know. Onwards to Wembley….

[Tony Daleys Shorts]

Lots of people saying Citeh are a poor team, yes they’re not the team they were but they’re third in the league and on a decent run of form and had home advantage.

It’s hardly like we were playing Blose.

[Tony Daleys Shorts]

So disappointing.

But will cut them some slack. That was our eighth match in 24 days!! Eight games in 24 days!! Most of which Villa have been brilliant.

Mentally and physically draining and unchartered territory for us. But another bridge we will have to cross if we want to join the super elite.

We have made rotation necessary but it does have its disadvantages.

Onwards and upwards.

This is where I’m at. It was disappointing of course, but we’ve been largely excellent for the past few weeks, the fact the manager and most of the players had an off day is very forgivable.

Saturday is massive, let’s annihilate the pricks.

[PaulWinch again]

Asensio is a game maker not game changer. Subbing him on at 60 plus has not worked that well.

Not sure that’s true. He’s come on a few times and scored.

[Somniloquism]

Asensio is a game maker not game changer. Subbing him on at 60 plus has not worked that well.

Apart from Brighton and the two Brugge matches of course.