Aston Villa v Spurs Post-Match Thread

[ez]

Emery sacrificed a game because we are running out of steam. Depending on how the teams below us get on he may do it again.

[Clampy]

Before we go overboard about a weakened team, its not as if we played load of kids.

[Beard82]

Just make sure y'all don't come across any Hammers fans. They must be furious. I would be.

I agree. It was almost like bringing the game into disrepute.

Are there sanctions for fielding a too weak team in league games?

didnt blackpool or some team managed by Ian Hollyway(?) get fined for that

[PaulWinch again]

No, it was weird to change so many, but they’re all pro’s (senior, many of them). The effort was the worst thing - Spurs tried, we didn’t. We were unprofessional, and I don’t say that lightly.

[Demitri_C]

Before we go overboard about a weakened team, its not as if we played load of kids.

Unfortunately  it showed a host of these players are not good enough. I love mings buts it clear his best days are coming to the end. Bogarde has looked trash last few games. Samcho useless, barkley dreadful the list goes on.

Just a absolutely terrible evening in every sense

[Hopadop]

If West Ham go down it'll be on them. There's only one set of supporters that team let down.

[Beard82]

Something's up somewhere along the line. Since when has Emery stood there expressionless motionless and passionless throughout a whole game? Since when has he left it till the 86th minute to make significant changes? Very weird which even the commentators noted. I'd love to know what's going on. At least Bailey had his cameo and was able to show off his new hairdo.

I think he was prepared to suffer this to field his strongest team in peak shape on Thursday.  Its the only way it makes sense

[rob_bridge]

Just make sure y'all don't come across any Hammers fans. They must be furious. I would be.

I agree. It was almost like bringing the game into disrepute.

I'd be furious if I was a Hammers fan. Relying on Forest or Spuds being worse than them whilst Leeds and Sunderland wave ta-ra.

We can blame ourselves for not helping relegate Spuds. West Ham can not blame anyone other than themselves. NOBODY.

[PaulWinch again]

Just make sure y'all don't come across any Hammers fans. They must be furious. I would be.

I agree. It was almost like bringing the game into disrepute.

Are there sanctions for fielding a too weak team in league games?

didnt blackpool or some team managed by Ian Hollyway(?) get fined for that

It wasn’t that weak - it was first team squad players.

[brontebilly]

Unai walks this summer and I honestly believe we’d struggle to stay up, this squad is so bad.

He can walk if he delivers CL football. Would be a great way to sign off and right off the OT debacle last season. His team needs to be gutted this summer in any case.

Does deserve credit for avoiding a Newcastle esque slump this season that we looked set for. But recruitment has been increasingly patchy in recent transfer windows.

[Paul.S]

As bad as the game was, and it was abject, what you don’t need is a crowd like that! The booing at half time was loud and I had to think where we are in the league. Laying into and abusing your own players is pathetic and it started after the first goal. I suppose that’s the modern way to support your club but count me out.
We have 6 points to play with and a semi final on Thursday and he had to gamble tonight. It backfired because the only midfielder worth their salt was Tielemans. When they run through you at will and your out ball is Sancho who doesn’t tackle there’s only 1 outcome.
Hopefully McGinn is fit for Thursday and if so we have a great chance.

[Demitri_C]

As bad as the game was, and it was abject, what you don’t need is a crowd like that! The booing at half time was loud and I had to think where we are in the league. Laying into and abusing your own players is pathetic and it started after the first goal. I suppose that’s the modern way to support your club but count me out.
We have 6 points to play with and a semi final on Thursday and he had to gamble tonight. It backfired because the only midfielder worth their salt was Tielemans. When they run through you at will and your out ball is Sancho who doesn’t tackle there’s only 1 outcome.
Hopefully McGinn is fit for Thursday and if so we have a great chance.

Sorry but they deserved to be booed off. They were pathetic.  None of them were closing, trying to win the ball or interested in trying to  create anything. The fans dont ask for much but that was absolutely  atrocious  1st half

[PaulWinch again]

As bad as the game was, and it was abject, what you don’t need is a crowd like that! The booing at half time was loud and I had to think where we are in the league. Laying into and abusing your own players is pathetic and it started after the first goal. I suppose that’s the modern way to support your club but count me out.
We have 6 points to play with and a semi final on Thursday and he had to gamble tonight. It backfired because the only midfielder worth their salt was Tielemans. When they run through you at will and your out ball is Sancho who doesn’t tackle there’s only 1 outcome.
Hopefully McGinn is fit for Thursday and if so we have a great chance.

I generally agree with that, but there are also times when even a team who has delivered a lot, need to understand what is not acceptable.

[martyn ellis]

I think there was once upon a time when clubs got fined for fielding weakened teams and I remember Ferguson complaining when he did it, saying rightly, 'It's my squad - I'll pick who I like. Far too difficult to police, so it was dropped.

[SamTheMouse]

The worst performance against Spurs since McCleish.

We effectively lost that one before we even left the dressing room, too.