Aston Villa v Brentford Post-Match Thread

[PeterWithesShin]

There's a massive difference to playing crap and bottling it. We played crap, didn't deserve to win. We showed bottle to come from 2 down a fews day ago, at Newcastle and in Turkey.

[JJ-AV]

Just about qualifying for CL now.

Losing McGinn, Tielemans and Kamara so huge

Good news is both debutants looked promising, particularly first half

[adrenachrome]

The middle was far too congested, we needed wingers to keep swinging balls in and anticipate the knock-downs. Except we left two of our best aerial assets, Mings and Onana, catching splinters on the bench.

It wasn't a game for nifty but lightweight players like Buendia and Elliott. We had to fight fire with fire. But Emery just stroked his chin and pulled those odd expressions of his.

We could have had Haaland, Peter Withe and Andy Gray and none of them would have scored because we can't bloody cross the ball. Cash can only cross from the left but he plays on the right, his brilliant one-twos with Bailey - Cash to Bailey back to Cash back to Bailey back to Cash, Cash to Konsa, as threatening as turning up to a gun fight with a water pistol and so fucking predictable. Useless. No wonder Roma sent Bailey back and still pay his wages.

Rogers out on the left wing for most of the game was another pointless exercise. Why not trust Maatsen to own the space? Again, like Salzburg Brentford filled the centre of the park forcing us to go wide and we immediately become toothless. We had more than enough to win today but put in such a lame performance we didn't deserve a point.

Beautiful move for the disallowed goal but I think everybody and their dog would be furious if that was the other way round. The ball was clearly out. The only discussion is why did it take VAR so long to decide.

Saved me from typing.

Muito obrigado, meu amigo.

[andyh]

That was so easy to defend against.
Sit back, block up the central areas and watch the opposition do the same shit over and over and over again for 40 mins.
Tip tap in front of the defence, try and shuffle it to whoever is fucking about on the left wing, and then stifle it.
No variation and certainly no pace to worry about.
Easy.

There was a definite quality issue today.
We can carry our ‘poorer’ players when we are a full strength.
But when your real quality is missing (I’ll include Onana) to lift the whole group, then players like Buendia, Maatsen, Bogarde and Sancho look very, very ordinary.

[PaulWinch again]

There's a massive difference to playing crap and bottling it. We played crap, didn't deserve to win. We showed bottle to come from 2 down a fews day ago, at Newcastle and in Turkey.

Yep it’s not bottling it. We’ve just lost our rhythm at home - obviously 4 key players being absent doesn’t help.

[Goldenballs]

Unai Emery on the disallowed goal: “For VAR it is difficult to analyse and so tight as well. I think the problem is the VAR should not be asking in this situation. I accept it but it is not fair."

[kippaxvilla2]

In key moments we bottle it.  Today, Everton, palace, manure, even PSG, Fulham.

[PaulWinch again]

In key moments we bottle it.  Today, Everton, palace, manure, even PSG, Fulham.

PSG? Where did we bottle it exactly?

[rougegorge]

We were a bit clueless in the 2nd half. So many short corners, too slow to play through or around them. I dont think they had to defend especially well. We let them have far too much time to get back into tight rows of 5 and 4.

With the disallowed goal, if any set play had occurred immediately after the ball had been deemed to be out of play, for example, and then we scored, VAR wouldn't have even got involved.

Then there are times when VAR doesn't get involved in situations when it should; e.g. goals scored from corners which aren't corners.

[achilles]

Var is there for ‘clear and obvious errors’ not for scrutinising something to the n’th degree to find something wrong to justify taking so long in the first place! 

[kippaxvilla2]

In the first leg letting a 3rd in in injury time then deciding to go 2 down at home after 20 minutes leaving us too much to do.  Okay I’ll give you PSG but the rest.

[brontebilly]

Emery made the wrong change for me. Elliot, Sancho, Bailey, Buendia, they were all cutting in field to where Brentford had lots of players. Onana should have come for and pushed Luiz forward. Even Barkley late on as he's good in the air. I like Elliot but it wasn't really the game for him.

[Clive W]

Just checked

And yes - we are still 3rd

[andyh]

Just checked

And yes - we are still 3rd

Is the gap behind us closing ?

[Percy McCarthy]

We absolutely did not miss Watkins.

He would have offered nothing useful today.

Total and Utter Bollocks

Episode 4397

Probably the most stupid one of the lot as well.

Unless smirker has earned a fortune from  his ability to correctly predict every game Ollie has scored in. In which case, fair play.