The Cherries (it’s a dangerous thing to say, I know) are another one of those meh clubs, totally nondescript and with a ground that wouldn’t be seen as very big in League One.
That is absolutely not to say that they don’t deserve our respect though. They’re seriously punching above their weight. Andoni Iraola has them going okay and they currently sit in 12th place, although they’ll no doubt be looking to improve on that tomorrow.
Squad news is mildly good, because Ollie Watkins is available again after his Hamstring niggle. That’s going to be interesting, because I don’t see the remotest chance that (Kevin) Tammy Abraham is going to be dropped after his reasonable showing and disallowed goal last week. Neither do I see Unai playing both together up top. Of course, we could always put Ollie out on the left, which is not his favorite position, but it is one that he’s effective at. It also gives us someone who should be better at running into the box than Maatson or Digne.
What am I saying? I don’t do tactics. Leave that to the manager Badger. Kevin up top on his own, it is then, I think.
And then we have the news that Amadou Onana feels like playing in this one has recovered from his “muscle stiffness”. Mmmm. Still, he definitely contributes when he’s on it and we do need the legs, so it’s a welcome return.
In other news, it’s been said that Alysson has been training so perhaps we’ll see him get a few minutes? It’d certainly be nice to see another right sided specialist, but we have Bailey. If the Brazilian is fit, we might see him come for a cameo. I do like a good winger and it seems Emery is keen on him playing.
As for Bournemouth, they might see David Brooks back, but they are without Julio Soler, Tyler Adams, Ben Gannon-Doak, Marcus Tavernier and Justin Kluivert. Some useful players there, I’d suggest.
Still, as per usual, I don’t care about them. It’s all about us.
And what do I think then? I’m scared. Just like the Brentford game and the Everton game before it, this should be a Villa win. Yet the circumstances look far too similar meaning the game goes down the same path and we lose.
Given that I think this next month or so looks like it could make or break our season, a loss would be a disaster. Losing three of our ‘easier” games consecutively at this stage of the season just doesn’t bear thinking about.
I’m tempted to say we’ll win this. Probably easily too. But the reality is thinking it doesn’t mean it will happen. I said we’d beat Everton and I said we’d beat Brentford.
Einstein supposedly said ” Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”, except, fact of the day, he didn’t.
Anyway, its a saying I very much agree with.
I’m going for a 2-2 draw. Because we need to break this run and I’d take a point.
UTV!
I think we can mark their goal down to Digne, just let him walk past and no tackle, 1-1
Fuckin hell we never make it easy need to win simple as but can’t see it
Positive attacking changes by Emery.
Where is Abraham? Watkins has done NOTHING… AGAIN!!!
Think we’re fooling ourselves that we are good enough for top spot, some of our players don’t run at them hard enough. Watkins a waist of space on a football pitch. We be lucky to get a point in this game the truth is they could have had 3-4 to be honest.
Anyone else watching this stream with Lee Hendrie and the other guy all they’ve done is slag off Villa and praise Bournemouth all game.
You’re right Alfie, as far as the comms go they hardly ever mentioned Villa – at times I wondered whether we were playing.
Great save by Emi. Put Kevin on!!!!!!
Can we see a sprint up the pitch and a smash and grab????
Good job we’ve got the best in the world goalie ffs we’re under pressure injuries to our midfield are killing us
A draw is ok but we miss a chance to go second yet again disappointing UTMV
Hard fought draw.
Sometimes you have to accept that a point’s a decent outcome.
Superb goal by Rogers.
It was always going to be tough when Buendia went off and we went down to 10 men. Another opportunity to go 2nd bottled. Watkins has become a waste of space and we quickly need to get someone in during the summer because I don’t think Abraham is the one. The next couple of months until Tielemans and McGinn come back will be damage limitation. Overall, Bournemouth deserved to win and we managed to hang on which gave us a point more than I expected.
Forget 2nd. It’s an illusion. We won’t be third for much longer. Enjoy it while it lasts. Today could easily have been 1-4. At least. We weren’t competitive. And that’s very worrying. If we continue to play like that, it will be a Forest style collapse and 7th place. That’s what the powers want and it’s looking increasingly likely unless the players start playing. Digne’s appalling indifference for the goal is a snapshot of what is currently running through the whole team. Uncertainty and apparent indifference. Bailey is finished. Watkins not far off. Awful second half. A third consecutive defeat at VP awaits on Wednesday, which will be disastrous and get alarm bells ringing. Everyone needs to wake up. The window has closed. Focus on targets. Fight for the Champions League. Anyone not fully fit should not be starting. Not happy.
Got to agree about Watkins and Bailey. An injury to Chesty, we’d be mid-table. 20 minutes off second place and the world is falling in. I’m confused. And annoyed. And frustrated. 😔
Was it just me or did the referee give us anything at all today? It must have infuriated the VAR team that Konsa didn’t foul their player inside the box. I’m sure they tried desperately to try and award a penalty against us. Come to think of it, what is the longest spell a team has gone without a penalty?
Totally agree. I very rarely call refs out, but thought he was the worst of the bad bunch all season.
He gave us absolutely nothing.
One good point. Martinez to the rescue. Other teams will struggle against Bournemouth if the Cherries continue in that form. Alarm bells should ring when clubs hand you back players you lent them or lend you players you once owned. Bailey & Douglas Luiz lost possession too often and too easily. Service and support for Watkins was poor.
Bournemouth’s goal came from a debutant whose talents were unknown. The element of surprise was vital. I watched the scorer advance and wrong foot Digne. Both Mings and Martinez shaped to block a cross/shot hit with the right instep, but the scorer struck with the outside of his right foot. He could not repeat it 5 minutes later.
A question our owners might ask concerns our recruitment. Bournemouth have to sell their best players to the moneybags clubs but, whenever they sell, they seem to unearth a good replacement who costs peanuts. If Bournemouth can do that why can’t Villa?
Since the New Year, draws away to Palace and Bournemouth are absolutely good results, despite the performance today, with the win at Newcastle magnificent.
The damage has been done with the two home defeats. Had we won those games, we’d be well clear in 2nd and in high spirits. Wednesday’s game is massive. I hope it will be a full house and very vocal, positive support!
FFS. If we’d have won I’d be in a great mood now…And woken up tomorrow with a big smile! I hate football.
And I bet Citeh drop points tomorrow too.
I’d rather City win. We need to consolidate 3rd. Forget top 2.
Agreed. We need to ensure one of either Pool, Manure, Chelsea finish below us. I think it’s their squad size that will help them. Happy days for Sky and TNT if we finish 6th or lower.
Dose of reality salts guys.
Top five is our aim not second, third or winning the title (well, not this season) and with 13 games to go we’re still in a decent position.
Everton and Brentford were poor results but in between winning away at Fenernche and Newcastle were top drawer.
Battled hard today against a very good and well coached side but OLL is right – how do teams like Bournemouth, Brentford and Brighton keep unearthing very good players at prices even we can afford?
Yes, PSR is affecting our ability to strengthen and it’s frustrating when teams like Manure with horrendous debts and Chelski who had their debts written off can spend anyway they like!
While OLL questions our transfer policy, it might be worth remembering this list of players that cost us very little – Emery, Tielemans, McGinn, Kamara, Duran, Rogers, Mings, Cash, Bogarde so we’re not exactly a busted flush.
Mings wasn’t cheep for a Championship defender in 2019, to be fair. But fair point.
Everton will be in for Wilson in the summer, apparently. We have to get him in, surely?
As for Calvert-Lewin last summer. We scoffed and turned our noses up. Now look. Far more productive than Ollie and much cheaper than Kevin.
I missed a couple BFR like Chukweumeka!
Anyone see Brentford’s penalty yesterday? What’s Murphy supposed to do? Chop hos arm off? And that was the EIGHTH penalty awarded to Brentford this season. Eight. Am I missing something?
Yet Buendia gets blatantly barged in the box and gets a yellow for his trouble. Tielemans wrestled to the ground at the Emirates. Nothing. Rogers shoved by Everton, albeit just outside the box. Sorry, lads. Didn’t see it and VAR not interested. I am 100% convinced the referees have a secret agreement, a little competition if you like, to see if they can go a whole season without giving Villa anything. I’m convinced. I bet they’re pissing themselves laughing. The club need to do something. Highlight the catalogue of errors publicly to put some pressure on. Sick of it.
Now I’ve just seen the Guimaraes one! “A careless trip” says the ref! WTF?! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
These twats just make it up as they go along. And the idiot commentators agree with them most of the time.
The IQ of commentators seems to be declining along with the rest of the footballing population 🤣
Anthony Taylor never gives us anything.
At last, what have I been saying all season, we definitely have a bent load of refs sent by the bent FA to make sure we get fff all in a match. I never thought I would look at football and thinking were not going to win because we’re the Midland club, you see it in transfer players shunning us being who we are, we only get has-beens and at the end of their playing days. I count how many English players in a Premier League team no wonder we have 4 playing for the country most of the top teams have 1-2 but the stupid FA don’t help us in anyway do they?. Just pissing angry lads.
Wanted city to win today if we finish top 5 with it will be an amazing achievement with everything going against us UTMV
Citeh do us a favour our next 3 are very winnable UTMV
So we’re the previous two, little8. Wednesday is a massive game…
Thanks for that. I thought this game was on Saturday! I’d have missed it.
Ye you so right bfr we need our confidence back we still got a good enough team to finish top five UTV
The Rogers out in the summer talk has begun already. To any potential suitors, the answer should be: “200 million or go f*** yourselves. The choice is yours.”
BFR, it’s the classic effort to distract Rogers and ruin our season. Unfortunately we can’t do anything about speculation. Maybe we should put out some click bait of our own to link us with their best players.
If anything, the click bait headlines are getting even more lurid.
There are far too many so called ‘pundits’ out there; most of them are just self opinionated has beens to borrow a phrase from a certain cricketer!
I’ve come to a sad conclusion today. Oliver Watkins needs to be sold this summer.
We need a lethal goalscorer. Unless he miraculously bags 12+ in what’s left of this season, we need an upgrade. His hold up work is a luxury we cannot afford.
Names on a list please…
P.s. Will be watching as a Wet Spam fan tonight!!!!!