Aston Villa ( Away ) Saturday 18th September

[Gwlad]

3 minutes ago, Shukes said:

Just an opinion mate. 
For me… I played for 30+ years and never was bothered with a player celebrating. It’s part of football for me. 
But that’s just me… not for everyone.

Haha I would accept a yellow if I wanted to do it anyway.

Fair do's, as you say we can all have our opinions or agree to differ!

[chicagoblue]

1 minute ago, duncanmckenzieismagic said:

Really don’t get the point of bringing Tom Davies on when we are chasing the game

He is injured and could be out for weeks

We weren't chasing the game at that point, just trying to hold it all together.

[Gwlad]

1 minute ago, dunlopp9987 said:

Agreed. Although wait till summer, I'm never a fan of January buys.

Can we afford to ignore the January window?

[Sibdane]

And here I come, crashing humbly back down to Earth. 

[dunlopp9987]

Just now, Gwlad all over said:

Can we afford to ignore the January window?

If it's a shrewd buy like we've made this summer, I have no problems spending in January. I am just always cautious if we spend a fair bit on a player in the January window.

[Gwlad]

C'mon Sib, Evertonians don't do humble.

[Tonsta]

We proved once again, we only have one first team, we can not play without 4 first teamers.

Iwobi, awful, both fullbacks awful, Townsend everything he did well on Monday, he did badly tonight.

Gomes never mentioned when he came on, very disappointed,  there is a way of loosing and this is not it.

Then at 3 down we bring on 2 defenders, nobody is above criticism tonight. 

 

[milesey05]

Onto the next game and hopefully some of the big names will be back. 
 

Rafa could only use what was available today so that’s on the players…. Well individual defensive errors.

It’s a set back but we must move on. 

[milesey05]

1 minute ago, patto said:

He’s only trained for a week ffs

Chill out!! If he’s on the bench a 10 minute run out wouldn’t have hurt!! 

[duncanmckenzieismagic]

16 minutes ago, chicagoblue said:

We weren't chasing the game at that point, just trying to hold it all together.

So trying to defend a defeat?

[pete0]

11 minutes ago, Tonsta said:

We proved once again, we only have one first team, we can not play without 4 first teamers.

Iwobi, awful, both fullbacks awful, Townsend everything he did well on Monday, he did badly tonight.

Gomes never mentioned when he came on, very disappointed,  there is a way of loosing and this is not it.

Then at 3 down we bring on 2 defenders, nobody is above criticism tonight. 

 

Maybe DCL would have got to the cross from Gray but I don't see how any of them would have made a difference to stop their goals. 

Iwobi was probably out best player in the first half. 

Madness to play Gray as a ten when you've got one of the best in the world twiddling his thumbs.

[Tonsta]

33 minutes ago, pete0 said:

Iwobi was probably out best player in the first half. 

Wow

[Newty82]

What can you say? We couldn't name a full bench of subs. A thread bare squad is already kicking us in the nuts as soon as some injuries happen - just like last season. If we're all honest, we know this is going to happen. This is the result of piss poor investment over the last 5 years. Expect it to happen more throughout the season.

I seen the line up and bench and thought 'be lucky for a draw'. And despite being highly dubious about Rafa, he's far from the blame factor here. To be honest, been pleased with him so far.

I thought we played bloody well under the circumstances. We were in it. It was a real good game.

But then you have the difference in benches. We had a knackered Rondon who had to come off. Bring on young Simms - an actual striker. But we changed shape to accommodate. At the same time they have some quality players who can't get in. It makes a difference.

We just fell apart and from the manager to the players, we shit it and lost everything we'd played for up to that point. Digne had a 'mare few minutes. The subs made no sense, we lost shape, and the Villa crowd - just like Goodison - became the 12th man.

It is what it is. Good season so far but we'll have plenty of days like this unfortunately.

[Newty82]

44 minutes ago, patto said:

He’s only trained for a week ffs

Ah. I didn't know that tbh. Kind of compounds my squad comments too. Not only could we not name a full quota of subs, one was fresh from the table.

[duncanmckenzieismagic]

1 hour ago, patto said:

He’s only trained for a week ffs

If he’s not fit to play why have him on the bench , especially considering James wasn’t deemed fit enough and he has been back in training for weeks?

[Romey 1878]

I'm disappointed we lost the game but I don't think we were as bad as a 3-0 scoreline suggests. I think for a lot of that game we played well, but we simply don't have the squad to cope with that many absences. First choice keeper out, first choice RB out, first choice striker out, first choice supporting striker out... Fucking hell, I'd have been happy with a point today with our full team out if I'm honest, so when we're patched up like that you're fighting a big battle. Under those circumstances I think a little bit of realism is needed. We held our own and caused them problems with a side that had been cobbled together and had pretty much fuck all on the bench to call upon to change things, whereas they had a £30m winger they could bring on. We started the rot with some terrible defending from Digne for their first and then we got blitzed after that, which is a bit of a concern but it's what we did to Burnley the other night so we know shit like that can happen.

I'm certainly not going to sit here and tear strips off the team, or the manager, for what happened today. I just think it was one of those things and hopefully we can bounce back in our next couple of games.

[Hafnia]

57 minutes ago, Romey 1878 said:

I'm disappointed we lost the game but I don't think we were as bad as a 3-0 scoreline suggests. I think for a lot of that game we played well, but we simply don't have the squad to cope with that many absences. First choice keeper out, first choice RB out, first choice striker out, first choice supporting striker out... Fucking hell, I'd have been happy with a point today with our full team out if I'm honest, so when we're patched up like that you're fighting a big battle. Under those circumstances I think a little bit of realism is needed. We held our own and caused them problems with a side that had been cobbled together and had pretty much fuck all on the bench to call upon to change things, whereas they had a £30m winger they could bring on. We started the rot with some terrible defending from Digne for their first and then we got blitzed after that, which is a bit of a concern but it's what we did to Burnley the other night so we know shit like that can happen.

I'm certainly not going to sit here and tear strips off the team, or the manager, for what happened today. I just think it was one of those things and hopefully we can bounce back in our next couple of games.

Agree with that.  We played better in spells with a patched up team than we did last season with a full strength team. 

[Harv]

We've had a gentle introduction to the season and done well. 

Today has exposed us against what will probably turn out to be a top half side in Villa.

 I don't blame Rafa, he has taken on a big challenge. With this squad and the limitations around what the club can spend.

 I think it's going to be damage limitation for a couple of seasons. Until we can turn this around , hopefully with Rafa. He needs time.

[Palfy]

16 hours ago, MikeO said:

Still not tried the iced tea yet, still on the "to do" list. Finally have my brother wearing the shirt though, 63 isn't too late to see the light is it?

And the winners of the Right said Fred look a like contest are the Oldfield brothers

[MikeO]

1 hour ago, Palfy said:

And the winners of the Right said Fred look a like contest are the Oldfield brothers

I'm too sexy for my shirt

[Bailey]

I don't think that game and performance was much different to the rest of the season so far. Goals change games and we were on the wrong side of that this time around. 

Having said that, I do think Villa were the slightly better side. I think they got into more dangerous areas more regularly than we did and some of their play in the final third (10 minutes aside) was terrible. On the other hand I thought we did remain a threat on the counter but mainly up to the last third. Our best chance was the Keane header from a set play which sums us up. Whereas I felt Villa should bave profited from their final third moments, I felt like ours were more forced or covered. When I say covered, an example is the Gray chance, where if it was on target it would have been blocked by the defender. 

There have been a few comments going around about the keeper but I don't think he was to blame. He had 4 big things to deal with. He saved the one he definitely should have and maybe a world class stopper keeps out one of the others. He isn't that, so IMO he did what I would expect of him.

Our defending of set pieces is still a concern. Villa played that corner every time and caused us problems. It was unlucky to get a touch off Digne but if he doesn't the Villa player running behind him probably does. 

As for their first, a lot of people are slating Digne and he clearly is not without fault but a lot goes on in the build up which leads to him being beaten by Cash. A scarecrow would have been better at blocking passing lanes that Gomes, Iwobi also doesn't do enough to stop that ball getting easily into midfield. From that point Allan, Gray and Keane are being pulled around and none of them can get close to their man to stop the pass. Ultimately it ends with Ings dropping into acres of space because Keane doesn't want to (rightly) follow him in, but then wrongly IMO he finds himself stepping into nomansland and doesnt stop the pass through to Cash. Digne just gets caught ball watching for a split second and that is enough. He has no inside cover from Keane and Mina can't get across. It is very simple football from Villa, passing, moving and running into space and it blew open our defensive structure and meant we lost 3 or 4 individual battles in the process, the most obvious being Digne v Cash. 

I thought both fullbacks were again our weakest area. Godfrey was borderline useless. What on earth he was doing for the last goal, I have no idea. 

Rondon was a disappointment. I expect he isn't fit but he showed very little appetite for the game after the first 10 minutes. The three behind him were working hard and their movement did cause problems but they didnt get much help from the new man. I would have liked to have seen Simms replace him though.

[Palfy]

5 hours ago, MikeO said:

I'm too sexy for my shirt

[Cornish Steve]

It was my son's wedding day yesterday, but in the morning, he, his best man, and I watched the game. It was very disappointing, and we were all commenting on how this is typical Benitez: strategically inept, completely the wrong substitutions, and clearly giving up too soon. It was obvious to all that Rondon was having zero influence on the game (playing favorites?), and Simms should have played the second half. Mind you, if that foul on Gray before Villa's first goal had been given, momentum might have gone our way. As it happens, though, it was like watching the Burnley game in reverse. If we play this poorly against a mid-table team, I dread to think the kind of drubbing we'll face against decent teams.

[Cornish Steve]

On 18/09/2021 at 09:44, Btay said:

Well if we want a successful season we need to be able to rely on depth. Definitely earlier in the season than I thought and more rotation players in. Let’s see what Iwobi does, he needs and we need him to take this chance.

For me, Iwobi was one of the few bright spots. He hardly put a foot wrong in the first half but did fade in the second.

[Cornish Steve]

On 18/09/2021 at 10:02, SpartyBlue said:

I’d like to see Gordon at some point if we need a little creativity. Pacier than some people think as well.

He was completely the wrong person to bring on and made no impact.

[Cornish Steve]

One other thing: It's criminal that Benitez won't play James. A past-it Chinese team player gets to start and James is nowhere to be seen? I didn't know, until I read above, that Simms has only just returned to training, but that begs two questions: If he's not fit, why was he on the bench? And even more so, why no James?

[Btay]

9 hours ago, Cornish Steve said:

For me, Iwobi was one of the few bright spots. He hardly put a foot wrong in the first half but did fade in the second.

Thought so as well. Would have preferred to see him central with Gray out wide but he was okay. 

[Palfy]

10 hours ago, Cornish Steve said:

It was my son's wedding day yesterday, but in the morning, he, his best man, and I watched the game. It was very disappointing, and we were all commenting on how this is typical Benitez: strategically inept, completely the wrong substitutions, and clearly giving up too soon. It was obvious to all that Rondon was having zero influence on the game (playing favorites?), and Simms should have played the second half. Mind you, if that foul on Gray before Villa's first goal had been given, momentum might have gone our way. As it happens, though, it was like watching the Burnley game in reverse. If we play this poorly against a mid-table team, I dread to think the kind of drubbing we'll face against decent teams.

Maybe just maybe against decent teams we will have DCL Richarlison Coleman and Pickford back, do you not think that just maybe that would help make a difference? What you and your fellow cohorts should have mentioned was the lack of depth in the team 3 first team outfield players injured and not a worthy replacement for any of them, and all 3 very much an integral part to this team especially DCL and Richarlison it could easily be argued the best 2 players in the team from last season who have both made a good start this season. To blame Rafa and call him tactically inept for what we witnessed is born out of ignorance to acknowledge the state of the squad not Rafa’s fault, but the fault of 5 managers and 2 DoF who have failed to bring in the right players in the right area’s to give us some decent depth to the team. And not to mention the gaffs by Digne was that because a tactically inept Benitez played him as a LB when he should have played him on the RW, no I don’t think so do you? I suggest all 3 of you were very much hung over from the festivities of the day before ( by the way congratulations to your son and his wife ) and should have had a few more coffees to wake your brain cells up

[Vranny]

1 hour ago, Btay said:

Thought so as well. Would have preferred to see him central with Gray out wide but he was okay. 

I think that Iwobi would’ve been more likely to get a chance centrally if one of Richy or DCL had been available. I think Gray was put up top to give us some counter-attacking presence, with Rondon not offering much in the way of pace. 

[RuffRob]

very hard to judge this performance with so many key players out, and to be too critical of this stand alone performance/result would be a little harsh - we are not Man City or Chelsea who can afford losing 4 or 5  players starters and it not effect our play.  Godfrey just coming back, Rondon nowhere near up to speed not ideal. Not an ideal starting line up and a very weak bench. 

It looked to be the only real difference between Villa at home and us was a bit of a nightmare 10mins for Digne.

We where not battered or dominated in this game, so as tough as any defeat is to take - I don't think it was a doom and gloom performance by any means. We created chances and a foot either way or a match fit Rondon and could have just as easily picked up some points.