I’ve left this post for a while because I needed to get my head around a couple of things.
That performance was frankly shocking. There’s just no getting away from it.
Where I predicted us to be the sharper team with more energy, because we’d had a nice week’s rest, we were so ridiculously far off the pace I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
We’d started reasonably enough, but I watched this game with my son in law and two of the grandsons and they all agreed with me early on that it was pretty turgid stuff.
There was just no atmosphere and even less edge to the game. I don’t know if that’s something to do with a lack of atmosphere at the Brentwood community stadium, but whatever, I even commented that the game was really flat and it was like watching a pre-season game.
I just found myself wondering what had happened to the sharp, accurate, fast-paced passing that we saw when Gerrard first arrived as manager. The answer was that the game was totally devoid of any of those niceties and I found myself getting somewhat bored as early as fifteen minutes in.
Buendia woke things up with a lovely bit of skill and a turn and drag (there’s no doubt a name for that move, but I don’t know what it is) and a lovely through ball to Danny Ings who finished sweetly to give us a deserved lead.
Deserved not because we were good, but because Brentwood were so poor.
It seemed the game was already in the bag and my 3-1 prediction was going to come to fruition and maybe more.
Then we huffed and puffed, looking the better side until Wissa received the ball, took a nice touch and then curled it for a cracking finish.
It was their first shot on goal and that made it really disappointing. We’d created little, but Brentwood had created even less.
1-1 at half time it was and it felt somewhat unfair.
Never mind, Gerrard’s half time tongue lashing would have the lads up for it and we’ve very much been a second half team anyway, so I still wasn’t worried.
Yet a performance never came and if anything, we continued to get worse as the game went on, so much so that you could see that Brentford would probably score again.
Brentford had a couple of second half injuries and given that they were already down to the bare bones player-wise it wrankled even more when they duly got the second goal.
Martinez saved Roerslev’s first shot but couldn’t do anything about the rebound.
Ings had an effort saved, but it was just poor all round from Villa.
One of the things I had to think about was Traore. I’ve seen it said on here that he was awful. Indeed it’s a view that seems to be pretty universal, having read around a bit. Yet in a game that was devoid of any creativity, he and Buendia were probably our best players.
I’d said in the preview that I didn’t even think Traore or Trezeguet would get playing time because it didn’t make any sense, seeing as they’ll be off to the African cup of nations tomorrow.
I’m not even keen on Traore, as although he’s undoubtedly massively talented, I also think he doesn’t offer enough in games, so it’s not like I’m biased in his favour.
So basically I’m perplexed as to why everyone else thinks he was so poor. Don’t get me wrong, he wasn’t great, but there are just loads of players I think were worse than him today.
I feel a bit embarrassed here, because it seems like I’m in a massive minority and I’m the only person who thinks he did okay, but my question would be who else even tried to go forward with the ball, Buendia apart?
Why did Gerrard start him?
A couple of reasons I think. First was confirmation that he doesn’t want to keep him and second, to put him and Trez in the shop window. Expect us to make massive losses on both players if we can get someone willing to take them.
So if Traore was one of the better players today, what about the rest?
I mentioned Buendia, who was quite bright in places but faded later.
And then I’m struggling to think of another anywhere near approaching decent performance.
Martinez was okay, but the rest of the defence were lacking on the very few occasions they were called upon.
Two chances, two goals pretty much sums it up.
Likewise the midfield. Luiz had a shocker and didn’t seem able to put his foot on the ball, let alone do anything with it. McGinn was invisible, as was Ramsey for the most part.
What about Ings then?
Yes, there was some decent link up play with Buendia and the goal was well worked. But I’m sorry, I still don’t see it. My grandsons ripped me to pieces when he scored, because I’ve constantly said he hasn’t been good enough, but by the end of the game, even they weren’t saying much. It’s possibly unfair to make too much of a judgement based on this game, because the whole team was so poor, but I just got the nagging feeling all through the game that we were missing Watkins’ far superior workrate.
The question now has to be will Gerrard keep Ings in and leave Ollie out next time? Personally I doubt it and have a feeling the manager isn’t keen on Ings. We’ll see though, because the manager does like to stick with who’s played well.
The other big complaint from me was this was a game that was begging for the kids to get time. Why none of them got on is beyond me.
I could also be critical of Gerrard leaving it so late to make substitutions too, but it’s almost like it’s not worth complaining at all and the game just has to be regarded as “one of those”, that is best forgotten as soon as possible.
It was massively depressing though, wasn’t it?
Coutinho is potentially a magic bit of business. The merchandise and recognition across the world this gives our club is huge. It could lead to some future big players joining us too and we need these types of players (admittedly they also need to come good else its a bit of a disaster) but to reach the higher echelons of the prem and fulfil our owners ambitions we need to take those risks occasionally. This can also be good for the kids as i’m sure they could learn a hell of a lot from a top form Coutinho. We still need a proper defensive mid and a speedy LB and I’ll be really pleased with this window. DM I’d go for Bissouma I thought he was superb against us and generally this season.
Ithink your point about him being a ‘big player’ is very relevant: if SG can persuade a name like him to come here, even without any immediate prospect of European football, then it does send a message to others that we may want to buy now or in the summer.
And on that front, I wonder whether JG is now kicking himself even harder? – probably not, though, just counting his wages from Citeh…
Adam, the journo’s must have read your post as we’re now being linked with …. wait for it ……. Bissouma.
But then we’re being linked with quite a few DM’s who can also play CB which might be a sensible way to go to the end of the season – cover two positions.
We had 16 year old Josh Feeney on the bench against Brentford. It seems he’s a CB we recently signed from Fleetwood Town for a ‘substantial undisclosed fee’. Must be something special then
Seems we’re paying less than half of his wages too!
Plus bonuses apparently.
Barca wanted an obligation to buy but Villa would only agree to an option to buy – good business that.
Apparently all he asked for on the bonus front was a few balti’s up in Sparkbrook.
Option price is €40m (£33m) according to reports plus enormous wages though!
Ive just seen hes ours.,
Can we all please give the guy a chance to establish himself in the team (3-4 games at least) before anyone starts claiming that we’ve wasted more millions on a big signing. (It will happen as son as he puts in a few stary passes…)
From what I’ve seen, his career stats suggest one goal in 4 games (better than Grealish, I think?) so we may need to wait a while before he actually puts the ball into the net!
Spot on Ardent – it’s going to take time for him to adjust back to the Prem and I’m sure he’s going to get a lot of ‘attention’ from defenders!
* stray
Confirmed Wesley has joined Internacional on a 12 month loan.
Personally, I wish him well and hope he fully recovers from his knee injury.
Absolutely.
One of those who didn’t have time to get into the stride of a new country, different league, etc., but was starting to show some of his potential before that awful injury.
Xavi is saying that Villa are paying 100% of Coutinho’s wages but he’s agreed to take a 35% cut to make the deal happen – so, if true, the move is not about money.
The other relevant piece I read is that it was Coutinho’s agent hoping to drive a bidding war but Coutinho himself was clear where he wanted to be.
All that is very encouraging and supports the view that he wants to get his career back on track and believes Gerrard is the man to help him.
Whatever the outcome – exciting times at VP.
I hope Purslowe is making a similar off er to Citeh…
More news emerging from Sky.
It seems (according to Sky) that other clubs were prepared to pay Coutinho’s full wages but he was so keen to play for Stevie G that he offered to take a pay cut.
I’m liking this guy more and more.
I have a feeling he’s going to be a great player for the club and we stand on a fabulous new era for Villa.
Just hope I’m not jinxing anything!
To the tune of Rockin All Over The World:
And I like it, I like it, I like it, I like it
Ohhh oh Ohhh oh, Bailey and Coutinhooooo