Aston Villa vs Everton post-match thread

[Halfway to Moseley]

We rolled the dice a bit by letting Malen go this week, and being unable to be decisive in bringing in new and oven-ready legs in midfield and up front.

It’s rolling the dice if you let a player of his quality go when you have another one through the door, contract signed. You’re gambling that they’re better than the player they’re replacing, and that they can fit in and hit the ground running.

What we’ve done is put the dice down, picked up a revolver and shot ourselves in the foot, and both kneecaps.

[Olof's Beard]

We are third on merit but our success is built on winning the fine margins each game. If you walk the tightrope enough times, you will eventually fall off. It is easy to point at Rogers and his finishing but he has won us games we had no right to win this season, the odd time when it goes the other way is acceptable.

I sometimes watch the Guessand highlights reel to remind myself why we bought him. I think he was identified as having a similar skillset to Morgan but we have seen absolutely none of his powerful running. He looks terrified and like a poor fit. Bad for him, bad for us.

Seeing a lot of annoying crap about an understrength Everton side beating us an'all. Has there ever been a side this high in the table at this stage of the season that is so woefully represented by the so called experts? Losing Kamara while his replacement is injured and the replacement for the replacement is injured too is way too much for us to cope with.

SJM staying on might have won us the game today too, he is our out ball and looked like he had the measure of them. Those are the little margins again though. It is a shame but we have enjoyed an amazing run at VP. The manager and team deserve a bit of slack

[brontebilly]

The poor performance and mistakes were all due to having no steel whatsoever in midfield and nobody in there capable of collecting the ball from the defence whilst under pressure.

It fucked our game plan, because most of what we do hinges on that first pass.

Unfortunately, if Kamara and McGinn are both out for a couple of months, I don't think our season will recover. They're just too important. We're in for a pretty choppy spell, I fear.

Agreed, we can't succeed with those two out together. Ive been quite critical of Onana and his inability, even when fit, to cover Kamara but he's unavailable yet again. Didn't see it today but if Bogarde couldn't step up at home to Everton that's a real worry. Drop off from McGinn on right to Guessand/Sancho is tragic really. If we got the Gallagher deal done he would have come on for McGinn today and got a run in the team. Same for Tammy, he comes on for Watkins today if we got the deal done.

Have to get quality into the club in the next few days or we could slide quickly.

[Sexual Ealing]

We rolled the dice a bit by letting Malen go this week, and being unable to be decisive in bringing in new and oven-ready legs in midfield and up front.

It’s rolling the dice if you let a player of his quality go when you have another one through the door, contract signed. You’re gambling that they’re better than the player they’re replacing, and that they can fit in and hit the ground running.

What we’ve done is put the dice down, picked up a revolver and shot ourselves in the foot, and both kneecaps.

Yep.

[eye digress]

Don't think you could really say Bogarde wasn't up to it.

We had loads of opportunities to attack them in prime central positions but, in maybe 10 or 15 such forays, could not find the right pass.

Bogarde mostly did fine, just ran out of steam and was on a yellow.

[Baldy]

Juan Pablo raised a good point. Harvey Elliot.

We need him now more than ever. Does anyone know how many games he can still play without us being obliged to buy?

We are paying his wages and he must be eager to impress for his own future.

[Crown Hill]

Disappointing day

Everton came fo a smash and grab and got it

Shame we were right on top before they scored thanks to a defensive error and bizarre parry from Emi.

Unai seemed to gamble at HT and out Rogers up with Watkins and Buendia in the hole. That seems to be working and we were better but perhaps exposed us at the back.

We badly missed Kamara and had no one to play on the half turn. So our build up was ponderous first half.

We will just have to beat Newcastle now to make up for it!

The Malen loan without a replacement inexplicable. We now need to signs. Couple of midfielders quickly!

[aj2k77]

Newcastle and Fenerbache away are not games you want with a depleted midfield and no options. I think we might be in for a bad week or two before we stabilise again. Transfer windows are creating so much uncertainty this season.

[rougegorge]

I don't think we would have lost had Torres and Martínez not made bad mistakes, but I'm not sure we were going to win either.

We can look at missing injured players, but they probably had even more missing than us.

Once McGinn came off, I'd have tried pushing Maatsen up further and brought on Digne rather than bringing on Guessand. Yes, he hit the bar, but fluffed a decent chance and his contribution was minimal again.

[Mister E]

We didn't play that badly but losing McGinn obviously didn't help us. We gifted a goal and were unable to break down the obdurate defence. Hemmings looked very assured - he's going to be a star - but without attacking options to come off the bench we ran out of ideas.
A special mention for the ref: Garner, MOTM according to Sutton, should have been sent off. The ref was giving similar fouls all around the pitch. Rogers does seem not to get fouls that others do get: because he's big and strong refs seen to assume that no one can knock him over; crazy.
Oh, and Guessand is a total donkey.

[Exeter 77]

An all round off day. I actually thought Martinez made a good save prior to their goal but others clearly don't. It was also the first time I have seen Bogarde's level drop. The number of midfielders out now is beyond worrying.

Edit: At least the FA got their preferred result with Arsenal and Man City dropping points.  The ref's thresholds for fouls for and against us seemed very different but it always seems that way again David Moyes sides.

[Skerra]

I don’t blame Malen for wanting to go, to get more game time. I don’t think he was given enough opportunities at Villa considering I rate him so highly. I assume Unai didn’t and he’s the manager.
Watkins I think is on the slide so, can only hope that Tammy can do the business for us. We missed a huge opportunity when we could have got £100 million for Ollie. Be struggling to get 30 now.

[aj2k77]

No one was ever offering £100m for Ollie. £45-50m max at his peak, which sadly seems to have gone. He seems a West Ham signing. £30m.

[JUAN PABLO]

went  for a walk , clear my head.


Even with 4 midfielders out we had enough chances to win , If Rogers had the right boots on thou the Pickford one was a great effort .

We was absolute awful but still should have beat that tripe , Garner getting MOM for his tackles in the last 20 minutes when the pusher should have been off and at 0 0 with 10 men , Villa win it , the ref bottled it like most of them done against a team like Villa.

I thought buendia tried , some wank stuff and some great stuff , I thought Maatsen was really good , I wouldnt have taken him off.

guessand other than a good header was rubbish and I really want him to do good here but I saw worse players under Remi Garde ,  the malen signing should have been put off , injury or not , Villa come first unless you have your player already in .

Disapointed in Watkins , thought he was a waste of a shirt today but we have no choice unless you just through a younger in and to  be honest they couldnt do any worse.

Most of them was meh , Torres did his once a mth fuck all but come on , Martinez what
you doing with that feeble save, pathetic.

I wasnt bothered about catching up Arse , to me its about the distance from Liverpool. yan and chavski but Im sure and hope this is just a kick up the back side and get some bloody players in , I mean would Elliot have been any worse that Guessand.

off for a glass of red .

Sounds like you've already had a few!

do you blame me 

[Sexual Ealing]

I don’t blame Malen for wanting to go, to get more game time. I don’t think he was given enough opportunities at Villa considering I rate him so highly. I assume Unai didn’t and he’s the manager.
Watkins I think is on the slide so, can only hope that Tammy can do the business for us. We missed a huge opportunity when we could have got £100 million for Ollie. Be struggling to get 30 now.

Nobody is paying £30m for Watkins.