Heh, I got that one well wrong, didn’t I?
Which is no surprise, as I think there’s only been a couple of games where I’ve called the score correctly this season.
In fairness, I wasn’t alone in thinking we’d lose that and if Dean Smith hadn’t changed Barkley and Luis out, I definitely think we would have.
Many fans had been calling for change for a few weeks, with us looking low on energy in midfield for at least four and probably five games. Fair play to the manager for sticking to his guns, but it had become blindingly obvious to anyone that the team was being hampered.
You have to wonder how many more points we might have got if Smith had changed things up sooner.
Still, I’m not going to harp on about it, because we’re past it.
The point is that without doubt it worked.
The best way to tackle Leeds is to stick it to them, exactly the same as Leeds do to other teams.
And I have to take my hat off to the players, who set about the opposition from the off and kept at it all through the game.
A couple of players didn’t have their best game, I thought, but even so there’s no denying that the workrate was outstanding.
Let’s go through them;
Martinez: This is easy. I don’t remember us looking so safe at the back because of the goalie for a very long time. Maybe Brad Friedel was up there, but I think Martinez is just better. The only negative I have about him is the fact that if he keeps these performances up, some very big clubs are going to be after him. What a fantastic signing and a very big reason for why we have such an excellent defensive record.
He was hardly tested, from memory, which is a testament to how well we kept Leeds at bay.
I hope his tight groin proves to be okay.
Elmohamady: I’ve seen some criticism of him, but I can’t say I noticed anything massively wrong. Bielsa bought Olioski on to offer more threat down their left, but he never made any headway.
Targett: He was great and I’m massively pleased that he’s come on in leaps and bounds since last season, where I wasn’t at all keen on him. He seems a lot stronger and goes into tackles heavily. He’s also developed a bit of a mean streak, which means he’s started putting it about a bit. I’ve seen he’s been accused of trying to get players sent off, but I didn’t think it was anything particularly nasty.
The biggest bit of cheating I saw was Llorente rolling around like he’d been shot and then totally forgetting that he was supposed to be injured when Ollie dragged him up off the ground. Blatant cheating, that, but I’ve not seen much mention of it anywhere.
Konsa: I rate this bloke really highly. He plays as though he’s not there, in that he just doesn’t do anything drastic. He reads the game well and never seems panicked. I genuinely think I see signs of God in him and he never gave Leeds a sniff.
Mings: Another who’s improved. He’s stopped the messing about, which I was always complaining about and if he’s not sure now, it just gets booted heavily. Much, much better. So much so that I’m seriously starting to see what everyone else has been raving about. He won’t have done his England chances any harm and I reckon Southgate would have been happy with his form, as am I.
Nakamba: He was immense and I hardly remember him putting a foot wrong. I think it shows great character that he can get the odd game, get dropped having done nothing wrong and then do the same a few weeks later. I think he needs a bit of a run now, until he has a poor game and/or Luis has had a decent rest.
McGinn: He’s still not right in my opinion. He works hard, but there’s something missing. His passing isn’t as sharp and accurate as it was, but he’s certainly not the liability Barkley has been recently.
I’ve seen some call for him to be rested, but I’m not convinced. Who could offer more? is the question and the answer is possibly Sanson, who’s breathing down his neck. He’d better not leave it too long if he’s going to improve.
Traore: It seems very harsh for me to say I thought he was poor today, when that was probably the hardest he’s ever worked for us. He put a really good shift in, but unfortunately he couldn’t get anything right.
He blows hot and cold and I’d probably have subbed him, but in a game where energy was the main requirement to stop Leeds playing, Smith was happy to leave him on and the result proved him to be correct.
Ramsey: I’ve watched him every time he’s come on and he has shown flashes, but not much else. In this game though, he stood out. Not because he was necessarily our best player, but because he seems so intelligent. His positioning was generally excellent and he knew where to be. I also noticed him pointing to one of the opposition, to make sure someone was watching him. A very mature performance and he didn’t look out of place at all. That’s impressive, given the type of game it was, I think.
El Ghazi: Blimey, he was on fire wasn’t he? Scored the goal and looked like he was looking for a hat-trick, shooting everytime he had an oportunity. Another who’s made himself difficult to drop, but Smith has done it before, so we’ll see.
Watkins: It was the same old for him. He battled against superior odds, worked his guts out, as per usual and managed to put in the shot come cross that led to the goal. I said at the beginning of the season that he could be classed as a success if he’d got a combination of fifteen goals and/or assists. He achieved that in this game and he’s been a pleasure to watch.
All in all then, a very good performance and a very pleasing result.
While it may seem as though I’m overly critical at times, even though this is our best season in a very long while, it’s only for the right reasons.
We cannot accept mediocrity or just average if we’re to be successful. We have to strive to constantly get better.
The good news is that that’s exactly what’s happening and long may it continue.
Comments
40 responses to “Leeds 0 – 1 Villa: A job superbly done.”
Bit of a long post, sorry.
Chuffed with beating Leeds though 🙂
Apart from getting the headline score incorrect Badger, I agree with your summary on the players against Leeds. I also got the scoreline wrong I’m glad to admit!
I was pleased Smith dropped Barkley and Luiz because of their performances. McGinn couldn’t have complained if he had been dropped either. You can’t blame tiredness because there have been a weeks gap between games recently. My viewpoint is that no player should feel they are playing regardless of how poorly they perform. Hopefully dropping Barkley and Luiz will serve as a wake up call for all of them. Smith must now keep a ruthless stance against poor performances resulting in changes going forward.
Sheffield United on Wednesday will be see if Nakamba, Ramsey and El Ghazi keep their places. As long as they are fit and ready, surely they deserve to keep their places.
Ah, I see about the head total..
That’s really poor on my part and I don’t know what happen there 🙁
Must do better.
I didn’t watch the game, but a mate said Ollie looked tired. He works his socks off so wouldn’t be surprised.
Thoughts???
Bum Bum; I agree. Watkins was a lone warrior and fought hard although he didn’t seem to have his normal ‘zip’ and his running looked a bit laboured – but then appearances can be deceptive. Hope he’s not carrying a knock.
Not in anyway a criticism, merely an observation.
I didn’t notice that, but I’m not saying it’s wrong.
He runs that much that it’s not surprising to see him blowing sometimes though, I’d suggest.
RIP Glenn Roeder 🙁
Roeder always seemed a decent sort. Shame.
Jadon Philogene-Bidace pens a new deal to June 2024.
He’s 19 and a very highly rated wide player. With his contract up this summer, a number of top clubs were sniffing around so it’s good he’s committed to Villa.
Louie Barry won the PL2 player of the month award for January.
I really like what Villa are doing with their U23’s and academy – it’s been a ‘bone of contention’ with fans for some time.
Expect to see more of these young players around the first team over the next 12 months.
Some old farts like me will remember the days of ‘Mercer’s Minors’.
Mercer’s minors was before my time, as was the Busby babes.
Will we see Smith’s snotnoses?
(Damn, the more I think about that, the better the name gets and the more I’m p*ssing myself 🙂 I could of course, just be desperate for a laugh )
Not a chance, imo.
I’m still not convinced why we bother at all, apart from improving the lower levels, which is what I think it’s really all about.
Call me sad and miserable, but I just think the big clubs would do better by giving the smaller clubs the money and let them bring the kids through.
And then we can buy them cheap, just as we always do.
Our record of bringing kids through is worse than abysmal, after all.
Villa unchanged from Leeds game.. Same plan probably, early goal and defend…really well.
Why didn’t VAR look at the challenge on Watkins in the penalty area. No attempt to play the ball – surely?
This has banana skin written all over it. These lower teams seem to be our downfall this season. How we didn’t get a penalty I don’t know and then go 1 down typical.
Homer referee
Poor on the final third. Nakamba excellent, Traore having a better game so far but overall pretty average.
Poor defending for the goal.
Ramsey off, Sanson on.
And do it now, not with 12 to go!
Two hopes.
No chance of a half time sub. It will come on 65 or later unless they score a second. I would like to see Samson on. He plays at a much higher tempo, which we lack
Badger, I’ve emailed my WordPress contact, just awaiting his reply.
And can we have another 3 points tonight please?
El Ghazi penalised for a challenge no different to the one on Watkins in the box
Lovely header from Ollie, hits the stanchion.
Unlucky.
Jagielka is off.
I’m not keen on that, but it was denial of a goal scoring chance.
if we don’t win this now, it’ll be our own fault.
Us and 10 men????
Hmm.
Jagielka off – I think that’s right but then I’m supporting Villa 🙂
We were denied a penalty though!
Our final ball has been awful.
Good choice of subs…
We’re going to miss the chance to put ourselves right up there by not getting 3 points tonight typical of us. I think we’ve lost already with 20 mins left to be honest just don’t see us scoring we’ve lacked any creativity tonight bar one Traore moment. I hope Grealish is back by the weekend we miss him so much
We never, ever beat the first man in a set piece.
It is truly pathetic.
Why has this not been addressed after all this time.
Seriously stuggling to watch this, because it’s just utter rubbish.
Our final balls have been complete crap
Very poor in the final third. Too slow and no creativity at all. The goal was awful – two Villa defenders stood and watched the cross
The goals dried up long before Jack’s injury. My last post mentioned that we’d need a lot more clean sheets to keep picking up points. No clean sheet, so no points tonight. There’s something wrong in the final third and has been for a while. Smith and his team need to sort it quickly. There’s plenty of quality there without Jack. It’s the equivalent of a ten inch cock with no Viagra. Apologies, couldn’t think of a better analogy at shot notice. Dreadful result.
Good points BFR – we have quality of sorts but no one with the quick mind that Grealish seems to possess. We’re too slow going forward allowing the opposition defence to reset and then, when we create an opportunity, our final ball is just woeful – repeatedly, time and time again – woeful.
El Ghazi, Traore, McGinn, Watkins…none of these are slow in feet nor mind, in my opinion. I don’t think Jack’s absence is the main reason for this. It’s one of 3 things:
1. COVID remnants
2. Teams wising up and getting their tactics right to nullify what they know is an attacking threat
3. Not enough work on the training ground.
I recall McGinn’s debut against Wigan; his crossing was outstanding, so what’s happened? He was also capable of a through-ball – assists aplenty. Not to mention goal threat. All gone now, has it? Is he playing too deep, or is he f*****? Last year I posted on here suggesting he was a better player than Jack – that was before his injury and before Jack woke up. That’s just one who’s under- performing.
What a load of average crap.
Telling isn’t it – we’ve only scored one point after conceding the first goal and we never looked like scoring.
Without Grealish we have no creativity and look a very average side.
Really can’t see us getting anything against Wolves.