So Everton have had a very decent start to their season, much of which is down to their newfound confidence from moving to their new shiny Hill Dickinson stadium ( It shows the money they’re making when a law firm can have the naming rights), which the twins have said is beautiful, by the way.
I don’t think for one minute they’ll sustain the run, as they didn’t look anything special to me today. Yes, they probably had more chances, but Emi’s great save apart, I don’t think they offered too much.
That said, it was more than enough to make us look awful, as they created chance after chance because we offered nothing at all or just gave it away.
I’ve been saying for a long while that our football is awful and if it’s possible, I actually think it’s getting worse. I wasn’t alone in that, but it seems more and more that many other Villa fans are thinking the same. Rubbish footy is hardly acceptable to me even when we’re consistently getting results, but when we’re repeatedly losing, it’s downright unnaceptable.
One of the most positive fans I know has recently said our footy is boring.
And it’s the reason why Emery is treading thin ice, in my opinion. Constantly playing backwards and sidewards football has 100% been found out. The opposing team just has to sit back, wait for us to give them the ball, which we do with alarming regularity and then hit us on the transition with pace. Even then, if we do manage to get forward, the opposition has had 20 seconds to regroup while we mess about. What won us lots of games previously, was our pace when we broke. That’s a rarity now.
It’s that easy. Yet we’ve been seeing it week in, week out. Our method isn’t working anymore. And if we keep failing to get results, he will be gone quicker than you can say “pass it to Martinez”.
So while the first half was something I could bearly be bothered to watch, so Emery changed it up a bit.
Tielemans had to come off, so the blindingly obvious move was to move Mcginn inside and play a wide player on the right. Enter Guessand, who didn’t set the world on fire, but just looked much better suited than the Scot. Let’s face it, John’s just at his best in the middle and we immediately managed to get a grip of the midfield.
And then, it’s about playing players who deserve to be playing. This seems to be a massive sore point for the fans at the moment and I totally agree with it. I’ve been accused of being overly supportive of Rogers and it’s true. I think he’s a stonking player. You just don’t get voted young player of the year for being rubbish. But yes, he has been terrible this year and that is now four games.
While I think a manager trying to play his players into form is admirable, it can only go on so long if the results aren’t coming. Are we at the stage where we need to drop the lad? I’m sure many would say yes, but I’d be asking why Emery hasn’t hooked him in probably all of our games this season? You don’t want to kill his confidence, but by the same token, a player needs to be at least hinted at, that the performance hasn’t been good enough and that’s why he’s been replaced.
But then, I could probably say similar about all of the players. Not one has looked good, something that I find concerning.
Another one exactly the same is Watkins. We know he has good and bad runs. It’s been the same for a while. But he cannot be allowed to get to a place where he thinks he’s guaranteed a start.
I like the look of Malen, but when he got his chance he was equally poor. Isn’t that where Emery should be saying he needs to play his way into form? It would seem not. Yet another expensive signing who’s warming the bench.
I’m a typical native. And I’m restless and don’t see a point against a toothless Everton side as a good result. But at least it was a point and not a loss.
Emery needs to change tack and go on the front foot, just like we did two seasons ago. It’s what got us into the Champion’s league, after all.
The trouble is, I’m not sure we have the weapons to do it now. We’ve sold all our pace.
Which is what’s making me wonder if that’s why we play so ponderously.
Sunderland away next. Oh god.
UTV!
Still in Spain and unable to access any Villa games.
Thank God.
Whereabouts?
Almeria, nice and hot and found a lovely bar with a big screen for the footie
Has anyone noticed if mcphee is still at villa i can’t recall him in first 2 games and didn’t see him in penalty shootout giving instructions
Only seen emery waving his arms around very oddly as if he was conducting after match debrief very odd.
Maybe also should have had emi on bench to bring on for penalties 🤔
He’s assistant head coach for Portugal, aside from the Villa, so most likely on international duty.
Yes I understand that but shouldn’t he be at his main job also same for monchi who’s helping his hometown club in Spain when should also concentrate on who pays his wages.
Why was nobody going through penalties with bizot like Brentford did with their goalkeeper, remember bizot has not played in this country before so would have no idea about the penalty takers,it looked like he had be left to work it out himself.
And why was emery so agitated with the players after the match when he should have been doing penalty talks.
Don’t get me wrong I like emery but something has drastically gone wrong within the club. And at the moment can’t see a way out,looking at stats it looked like the off side part is back like 2 seasons ago.
You asked a question and I answered it Roy 🙂
You have a good point though.
I’m sure our leaders would have given him permission to take the role, but it doesn’t explain his absence last night.
Maybe it’s as has been said and we don’t take the cup seriously?
Emery has total disdain for the Carabao Cup, so long as we are in Europe. He wants us out of it at the first opportunity. Having said that the changed team showed better form than the first XI, but allowing McGinn to take a penalty was the end.
Notable for both matches at Brentford, a weak Torres gifted the Bees as goal. In the league it was a weak tackle, in the cup a weak header. Please Unai, stop playing him in a role where he needs to defend!
Didn’t see the game as was flying between Victoria BC and Halifax although my mate had WiFi on the plane so was tracking the score.
Probably best I wasn’t watching!
I’ve decided to take a sustained break from Aston Villa.
Bye, lads.
I’ll see you back on here Saturday morning! 🙂
🙂
Ok Bum Bum, I’ve only got myself dry after throwing myself in the cut, I’m doing the same speak Sunday .
(I think 3 days off is as far as it goes! LOL!!!).
“Out of the 14 players who started more than 10 Premier League matches last season, only four were signed during Emery’s reign. This lack of change – and tactical evolution – is making Villa predictable.”
https://removepaywalls.com/https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/what-really-gone-wrong-aston-35918321
You might want to make a note of the first part of that link chaps. That site has an extension for Firefox browser and maybe more. I’ve found it very useful.
Thanks badger for information
By the way didn’t anyone notice that Brentford player used a towel to dry the ball before throw in i thought that was not allowed now isn’t it in the rules 🤔
Any of you know different
The EFL have banned it for league games, but you would assume not for the League cup.
Have Villa been foolish?
Villa seem intent on buying young players for around the £5-10m mark and looking to flip them after 1/2 years for a couple of £m more, whilst loaning them out. For example,
Nedelkkovic: £6
Barrenacheau: £7
Ozcan: £7m
I have excluded Ling / Dobben etc
These 3 players costs approximately £20m. Villa hope to flip them and make in average about £3m each, al least £9m profit.
But it is the opportunity cost lost that is the problem. Last season on finishing 6th our premier pay out was £159.3m. 8th position earns £145m. Therefore, if we drop 2 positions (very likely after the shocking start to this season) we will loose more in income than selling these 3 players gain.
As finances are tight why have Villa not pooled the money and sold a player to provide an upgrade. For example, if Cash were sold for £15m and the £20m from buying the above 3 players was pooled, Villa should have an upgrade on Cash. More importantly it helps refresh the squad and hopefully improves our ability to offer something else in the pitch.
What worse is Villa seem to be doubling down on the squad. Digne given a new 3 year contract at 32. New contract in the offing for McGinn – 31 next month, who doesn’t make the best 11 players when all fit. We are creating a new bomb squad of players we will need off the books to allow us to refresh our aging squad.
I really believe Villa need to look in the mirror and ask themselves are they helping themselves with things like SCR buying deep. I’ve not even got into how they really do need youth players to step up into the first team as this will give them the financial flexibility we need. We just can’t afford to buy ready made players, as we pay over the odds for them
I so agree. Villa thinking small time and chasing pennies instead of pounds. Looking at Newcastle v Barcelona and thinking of a missed opportunity. Villa Park packed, with a team that has at least half a dozen points and going forward. So close and yet so far far.
Quick word on the Brentford game, which for some bizzare reason I decided to go to, arriving back at 3 o’clock in the morning. We are not good enough and are going to struggle this season, the football is absolutely atrocious and I really cannot see us getting a win against Sunderland.
This might sound completely over-board however this kind of thing is how surprise relegations come about… did Leicester fans think they’d go down after consistently finishing top 10? Did Sheffield fans think they’d go down on less than 20 points after coming 9th the season before?
I might sound like I am panicking, because I quite frankly am, we have no divine right to succeed, just like no club does, we just look so inneffective whenever we have the ball. People are putting it down to “low block” but does anyone else notice that our biggest struggle seems to be creating space in the attack, we have absolutely none of it game after game and it’s adding up in terms of our goal tally, it’s very, very worrying, and the even more worrying thing is the fact that I don’t think I am overreacting whatsoever.
Anyways, after all that, I’ll be at Sunderland away on Sunday… LOL! UTV!
I think your thinking is 100% justified, fwiw.
It’s like there’s suddenly a malaise running through the whole club.
I don’t know how Emery is going to turn it round either.
Leicester’s side were brilliant but it was always a house of cards. And they sold 75% of their best players.
We need WIDTH!!!!!
Been saying that for months Bum Bum, how the bloody hell can our forwards score when you don’t get in behind the defence, also midfield along with our centre backs push the ball upfield, this tip tap been worked out by the opposing teams. Its time to fool teams like the day we did with Liverpool and don’t advertise our game plans.
Not one of our players has any speed. Maatsen is probably our quickest but he doesn’t play regularly. Digne is better defensively but offers little going forward. Emery has Malen, Sancho and Guessand for width but none of them can go past a defender with a burst of speed. Watkins looks like he is sulking about not going to Arsenal. Rogers stats are awful this season and Canadian Pete highlights this in his videos. Emery has a team that is low in confidence and completely clueless in the final third. I could cry the amount of times the ball is passed out to a CB from the keeper and then to Cash who stops, checks back and passes back to the CB or keeper. Our football is slow, predictable and terrible to watch.
A defeat on Sunday and I am certain there will be Emery out calls. Unfortunately he is responsible for overseeing too many terrible signings and being able to only have a plan A.
We were okay with the backwards and sideways passing when we were getting results and counter attacking with purpose. Unfortunately now, all we have left is the backwards and sideways passing. Sundays game is now absolutely massive and I fear the worst.
I see United goal gets the all clear from VAR. Incredible , when you see some of the most harshest of offsides not given, that was 100% OFF SIDE . The league want their 6 cash cows all lined up in place come the end of this season.
Tom was going to comment on that incident, 100% wrong by V.A.R , I just couldn’t believe that decision.