10 minutes into the second half I sent this to Badger,
I'm not going to be able to write the review today. I'm livid, absolutely livid. Making me angry watching this shambles. Everything that can go wrong, is going wrong.
The only reason I have now come to write my review is because I just watched Albion slot one past United and it brought back all the anger from Saturday. That should set the mood for this post.
Our past 4 fixtures have seen Villa lose 11:0.
This is the longest running fixture in top flight football and we did that feat no justice. We are becoming a disgusting disgrace.
I spouted in the preview about how this was going to be an attacking team and we should win 2:1, I couldn’t have been further from the truth. Our attack, our holy grail Benteke was MIA. He just was not in the game at all. The only good that can be taken from this game is that the away support was fantastic, completely out singing the home support (Not that Everton ever make any racket. They have one of the quietest supporting base I have ever witnessed “3 nil up and you still don’t sing”), if only the players played with as much passion.
Where to start then?
DEFENCE
The mighty Vlaar was back, but not back on form. It wasn’t just the defence, because the entire team looked shook by the constant bombardment that Everton threw upon us. Weak points would be Clark and Cissokho. Clark is scrappy, unmatured and needs to leave the club immediately.
Clark was not supposed to be on the pitch but was brought on early in the first half when Baker suffered an injury. This adds to the curse of the Villa CB’s and hopefully we will find him back in the team very soon as he started well and I believe he really has come of age.
Cissokho is awful going forward, we have talked about this in previous weeks. He comes across as rushed and sloppy with his passing being off and balls being well wide.
Hutton has been brilliant and spot on all season. He had a great game but was let down by the majority of the team (who would have said that a season or two ago?)
Midfield
With the absence of Delph, we needed players to step up and that didn’t really happen with the exception of Cleverly.
Cleverly played his socks off. He passed well, he got into space and ran himself ragged getting the ball back. Again, it is a shame that the rest of the team was not on form or even on the pitch.
Where was the rest of midfield?
Strikers
Did we have any on the pitch? Are we seriously the only team in the Premier league that doesn’t have a decent strike force? We all put too much faith into Benteke and too be honest with you, I think he will find it hard to replicate his first season for us, very hard indeed and since i’m saying that, what chance does that leave Gabby and Wiemann? I’ve said it before, I have no faith in either of them as goal scorers.
Honestly from the minute we started the game to the minute we ended it, we only looked decent for roughly 3 minutes of play. Our team is just not up to the standard the premier league is expecting, it’s becoming a harder competition and you either have to swim or sink. We are a sinking and doing so without so much as a fight.
We need players. After the game I counted and named the players on current form who I would keep in a team if I had to pick.
Guzan
Hutton
Baker
Vlaar
Cleverly
Delph
Westwood
I would only consider taking 6 of the players from the team that started and I honestly believe that we need at least 6 new players in order to sort this mess out. 2 strikers, 2 wingers, 1 left back, 1 centre back. If we don’t spend in this winter window, we may run the risk of going down and it really saddens me to say that.
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