Manchester Utd v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[andyh]

Today, like wolves away, proved that ref’s are cheating ******.

It has been proved that they blow for what they THINK they see, than what they actually see.

[Martyn Smith]

Are we the first team to be playing in three different first class European competitions in consecutive seasons?

[cdbearsfan]

Quite a few teams have managed it in one season.

[Somniloquism]

Bottom line.  We failed to get CL because of our inability to beat Ipswich twice.

Undoubtedly done over by the officials today, but like Palace, come the big occasion we play like a bunch of started rabbits.

Chelsea managed to get Champions League and they did worse with Ipswich so I wouldn't call that specifically the bottom line. After 38 games, the season shows you where you deserve to be and it seemed we deserved 6th.

[Toronto Villa]

Every club has shit or unexpectedly poor results. We also had favourable results that we didn’t expect.

[PaulWinch again]

Today, like wolves away, proved that ref’s are cheating ******.

It has been proved that they blow for what they THINK they see, than what they actually see.

That’s not cheating - it’s incompetence, but not cheating.

[The Edge]

I'm still trying to digest what happened but it's not getting any easier. I mean how did we manage to play so badly against a team that's been Blues all season and had a cup final on Thursday while we had a whole week off. We looked so leggy and they were fresh as a daisy. How? I was shot down on the match thread for daring to say that Watkins was having a stinker but going to say it again. He was shocking. His first touch was appalling. His hold up play was none existent and he looked like he had lead boots on. I'm singling him out because he epitomised our performance. He wasn't the worst though. Both our fullbacks were crap. Cash's absolute brainfart leading to Emis ridiculous Sumo challenge on Hoijlund summed him up. He continually looks to cut back instead of looking forward and he often makes blind passes and crosses. He's got to go. He looked like a Championship player at best. And Unai was found wanting once again. Just like Palace we were completely outplayed and out maneuvered. I love the guy but he gets a 2 out of 10 today. 

[Brazilian Villain]

Club statement on letter written to PGMOL. https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2025/may/25/club-statement/

[PaulWinch again]

We were terrible today and it’s a real shame, because we didn’t even need to win. We’ll have to play it smart in the transfer market now as we have less leeway.

[djbone]

One narcissistic twat not doing his job properly is now probably the difference between our whole Summer plans.

More importantly though I don't know how one club can be so mentally against playing in Manchester, and how a brilliant manager is so useless up against a 3-4-3.

Nailed it

[Toronto Villa]

Unai Emery: "He whistled. He needed to have it under his control, waiting for VAR. I believe in VAR. I spoke with the referee and he knows his mistake. I make mistakes, my players and the referees. We have to accept it. I believe in VAR."

[Beard82]

I think we have every right to be fuming about it.  It was gross incompetence. 

English Football is a £multi-billion industry, managed like a fucking stag do whip.  Whilst we shouldnt have needed it, and we played incredibly poorly, you can also look at a narrative that:

• We had to sell 3 key players to overcome FFP rules - despite not being in any debt
• This impacted our ability to compete all season - but managed to go 1 nil up with 17 minutes left to qualify for champions league football - which would have almost certainly have ensured Champions League football and an additional 50+ million.  It was then disallowed by something not following the set procedures.  An act of gross incompetence in any other profession.
  
• And now we have to sell other keys players to meet FFP to make up a 50m shortfall despite not being in debt.
  

I get its a mistake, I get we shat the bed - but you cant have these restrictive rules for financial performance, whilst having such low levels of application of on pitch rules.

[Toronto Villa]

Silver linings from today.

1) the usual loss to that lot keeps that useless fucker Amorim in a job. One result isn’t going to fundamentally fix everything at Man U. Unless they find a way to play us every week.

2) the bloke handling the music at Villa Park can now correctly play the Europa League intro theme. Watch him now play the CL or Conference music for one of our games.

[taylorsworkrate]

If our players hadn't played like utterly pathetic ****** today, we wouldn't be talking about a refereeing error.

Absolute frauds to a man today

[paul_e]

If it's the one I'm thinking of they were level to the naked eye but as he was making an attempt to play the ball at most it'd have been a yellow card, which can't be given on review (for some reason). In much the same vein the Diallo foul on Onana was 100% a yellow card but the ref didn't give it so couldn't be checked. Given Diallo then got a yellow 25mins later before going on to score the opener there's a fair argument that he was lucky to be on the pitch to score it.

That only works if in the box and a penalty was also given. If outside the box it is a red card still if a DOGSO. However as I mentioned it might have fallen down the cracks of VAR options as maybe it needs the ref to blow for the foul for it to be reviewed for a red, similar to the FA Cup one last week.

You misunderstand me, I'm not talking double jeopardy here, I'm saying it wasn't enough to be a red card, he made a genuine attempt at the bal land at most was a little clumsy. As it was given offside they didn't really show many angles of it but it might not even have been a foul. I don't think we can have many complaints with that one, or with the Emi sending off.

The decisions I'm not happy with are not booking Diallo for going studs up into Onana, blowing up too early for Rogers 'goal' and giving them a very soft penalty that Diallo clearly played for by dangling out a leg where Maatsen couldn't really do much to avoid it.

Maatsen could have done plenty to avoid it.

https://www.skysports.com/football/video/11095/13374575/manchester-united-2-0-aston-villa-premier-league-highlights

2:30ish - watch it again, explain where else he's supposed to put his foot, he never even looks towards where Diallo's feet are, he's just trying to slow himself so he doesn't barge into him.