Worst Performance Of The Season

[TopDeck113]

Objectively, Palace.  The draw had opened up for us and the Cup is something that still means a lot to those of us of a certain age.  However, the outcome is tempered by the fact that perhaps Palace's name was indeed on the trophy and I don't begrudge a so-called lesser club's fans having a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Yesterday will take a lot of getting over.  Other results aligned and the implications of not making the Champions League may well see us dropping down the pecking order next season and beyond.  Our record against Manchester Utd has been done to death, but let's imagine a roll reversal.  Last game of the season, we've had an appalling nine months, we've just lost the one game that would give the shit-show some lustre and the team we're facing at Villa Park needs a needs to win to be in contention of finishing top five.  You just know that we'd be a goal or three down at half-time and end up doing an embarrassing lap of appreciation to an empty ground having been well-and-truly mullered.  That's really how poor yesterday was.

[danno]

Objectively, Palace.  The draw had opened up for us and the Cup is something that still means a lot to those of us of a certain age.  However, the outcome is tempered by the fact that perhaps Palace's name was indeed on the trophy and I don't begrudge a so-called lesser club's fans having a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Yesterday will take a lot of getting over.  Other results aligned and the implications of not making the Champions League may well see us dropping down the pecking order next season and beyond.  Our record against Manchester Utd has been done to death, but let's imagine a roll reversal. Last game of the season, we've had an appalling nine months, we've just lost the one game that would give the shit-show some lustre and the team we're facing at Villa Park needs a needs to win to be in contention of finishing top five.  You just know that we'd be a goal or three down at half-time and end up doing an embarrassing lap of appreciation to an empty ground having been well-and-truly mullered.  That's really how poor yesterday was.

Why? I don’t understand what point you’re trying to make. Imagine a hypothetical scenario that is worse than the bad thing that actually happened.

Chelsea and Man City. Two teams that have been in the champions league multiple times over the past twenty years held their nerve and got the wins they needed.

The three teams who all have nosebleeds from being so high in the table all froze on the day and lost. There’s not much more to it.

[Nii Lamptey]

From memory, we've had a few stinkers this season. I'd say Palace [Away], Palace [Wembley], Bruges [Away-league phase], Monaco [Away] and yesterday, Man Utd [Away].

Sadly, there were a couple of must wins in there which inevitably meant our most promising season in recent memory fizzled out to disappointment in the end. No trophies, no Champions League qualification..... All whilst serial losers Palace, Spurs and Newcastle lifted trophies for the first time in decades! And to rub further salt in the wound, the latter two leapfrog us into next season's Champions League!

We've had some unbelievable experiences this season, but we really need to start turning this promise into actual success. Unai has turned Villa around, but there has to come a point where if we fail to win anything again next season from such promising positions, 'when' do we start asking questions?

Wembley and yesterday's no shows have scarred me, and I just can't understand how the manager/players just haven't turned up when it has mattered most this season.

So far, it feels like same old Villa but just in a shiny, more expensive outfit. Glad it's over and we have a couple of months where we can forget about football.

Have a good summer all. UTV

[PeterWithesShin]

Wolves away, a first half so bad we made 4 subs at HT. The 2nd half wasn't much better.

[Nii Lamptey]

Wolves away, a first half so bad we made 4 subs at HT. The 2nd half wasn't much better.

Good shout. Blotted that one from my mind..... also a special shoutout for the gobshite home fans in the upper tier spitting over us as we left the terrace for the concourse. Wankers.

[olaftab]

Palace at Wembley.

[Legion]

Palace at Wembley tied with yesterday's debacle.

[UK Redsox]

The FA Cup semi was an utterly bizarre performance in the most winnable cup for years.

Losing at Newton Heath is bog standard Villa

[brontebilly]

The FA Cup semi was an utterly bizarre performance in the most winnable cup for years.

Losing at Newton Heath is bog standard Villa

It is but losing to this embarrassment of a United team fresh off a humiliation in Spain only last Thursday is a new low. Not losing either, we were hammered everywhere but the scoreline.

We didn't show up at Wembley either but I thought we were done tactically too.

[RamboandBruno]

The most is not important, it’s the frequency and a lot of it being down to selection and tactics/ strategy.
Then an unwillingness to change it when it is not working.

It's just hard to believe he didn't make at least two subs at half time. Our season was on the line

Yes, Maatsen was all over the place which meant SJM was charging around trying to cover, Rogers was leaving Cash exposed on the other wing.

I didn't think Maatsen was noticeably bad in the first half, just poor. As you say Rogers was delinquent really in not helping Cash out, Mount was causing problems in a constant 2 on 1 on that side. At least McGinn was covering Maatsen, too much probably. Surprised with Rogers as he worked hard in a similar role v Bournemouth but he didn't try a leg for some reason in that first half, spooked maybe. Emery had options, swap McGinn and Rogers was obvious after about 15 mins. As utterly awful as we were in the first half and despite the red card, we were somehow still in the game at half time. I said it on match thread that I thought Mings and Tielemans had to come in for Torres and Onana. They were no brainer subs.

Maatsen had the nightmare of all nightmares in that second half. Emery should have recognised that very early on. Aside from the spectacular mistakes, he had at least one if not two of those gutless headers in our box just back out to the D for Fernandes or one of them to have a crack at. His head was gone. Digne brought calm when he came on at Arsenal in a similar situation. Mings and Tielemans, we just needed calmness then. The situation was salvable. Three very experienced players on our bench and yet he goes back out with same 10!

Maatsen yesterday eclipsed Konsa at Ipswich as the worst individual performance of the season for me. His form had been improving lately and I was all for showing faith in him. But that was badly misplaced.

Good job Mastsen’s relying on Emery’s faith in him rather than yours then.
Seems daft to single a player out, they were all as bad yesterday. Tielemans did ok when he came on, thats it.

[BoVillan esq]

I'm going to go with yesterday, they say with the cold light of morning you take a more balanced view, its worse to day than yesterday, I just don't get it, I don't get the the players the team the tactics I don't even get the manager in the approach to the game, nothing makes sense.

[ez]

Palace at Wembley.  So bad Emery apologised to the fans after. He knew he messed up.

[brontebilly]

I'm going to go with yesterday, they say with the cold light of morning you take a more balanced view, its worse to day than yesterday, I just don't get it, I don't get the the players the team the tactics I don't even get the manager in the approach to the game, nothing makes sense.

I'm the same, irrationally stressed over it still! The refs mistake, and the furore over it, nothing more than a fig leaf over that shit show yesterday. At least with Palace there was a league game coming shortly after it to make amends. Less caffeine required!

[edgysatsuma89]

While Palace can be compared as equally as bad the difference is that they’re a very good side. ManU were there for the taking because they’ve not been this poor for 20 odd years and they’d lost a final earlier in the week. But we still managed to make them look decent.

That's the difference, for me. Everyone could see Palace were playing well for weeks, whereas this Yanited team are shite with almost zero morale. It's yesterday for me. That could be recency bias but I don't think it is.

[RamboandBruno]

I think yesterday’s was worse for all the reasons stated, though Im getting over yesterday already, whereas I still think I fully haven’t with the Palace game.
Whatever happened yesterday, we have still achieved something in qualification for the Europa. Not getting to the cup final has really bothered me. Its an age thing really. If it takes as long to get to the cup final has it has so far since 2015, Ill be in my 60s if/when we eventually get back there.