Well, we had a great chance to take what I’m sure would have been a much needed three points last week against Leicester and totally blew it with some horrendous defending and our constantly trying to play out from the back when we’re really not very good at it.
By all means do it when the odds are definitely in your favour, but jeez, just go longer, quicker if it’s at all iffy. It shouldn’t be too difficult, but footballers aren’t known for being the sharpest tools in the box, are they?
Still, I won’t harp on it.
Yes, I will, it was awful and I’m still bloody fuming.
Which brings me to the Juggernaut that is Man City and their never ending ability to spend ridiculous amounts of money while always dodging the FFP rules.
Guardiola can protest about how everyone is out to get them, but we all know they’ve been at it for years, even though nothing has been proven.
I’m not even sure the Premier league can prove anything this time, but if they can, it’s nice to know that there will be no CAS ready to overturn any guilty verdict this time and we can only hope punishment will be extremely severe, as is only reserved for when clubs, just like individual crooks who have taken the proverbial for years, get punished.
And if the league can’t ultimately prove it, at least City will know the whole football world is on their case.
It’s a last chance to prove it though, as another attempt would surely lead to a claim of harassment.
And if City aren’t massively punished and are just hit with a fine and a points deduction, it’ll have been a waste of time anyway. A club of City’s resources would be laughing at that.
Only relegation and the striking off of any achievements would be adequate punishment for me.
And then add in the enforced sale of a load of their players too.
Let’s see how they like having their best players taken off them.
Am I bitter? You bet I am.
I don’t dislike City as a club. I’ve always rated them as very much on a par with the Villa before the current owners arrived and they play great football that is good for the game.
But I dislike the idea that it’s all been done illegally.
Anyway, on to the game and the usual squad news, which is not too bad for us.
Ash Young is fit after going off against Leicester, Traore is training again, but it’s too early for him and Diego Carlos should begin training this week after suffering his Achilles injury months ago. No doubt he’ll be weeks away from playing, but it’s welcome news.
As for City, with their squad, it’s hardly important, but John Stones is the only player that’s not available. Phil Foden has trained after a bout of illness.
I find it very easy to think that if our defence play like they did last week, we’re probably in for a hiding by double figures. Things are hard enough even if your defence is playing well, but as much as I think at least some of our defenders need to leave, I also think they can’t possibly be as bad tomorrow. Two games running? No, surely not.
And City are just frightening when they attack too.
But by no means unbeatable. Indeed, in their last six games both teams have collected 10 points according to this table
As an aside, there’s some interesting numbers, generally in that table and they’re worth a look.
But then, we haven’t beaten City in our last 14 games. It doesn’t bode well.
I expect goals, probably more than 3, but I can’t see us getting anything out of it.
I’m going to go 3-1 to City.
Comments
111 responses to “Money Citeh – Villa; Oh dear”
Our tactics for this game is literally play long balls to Watkins and Bailey, City are too good to play like that we’ve got no chance of getting back in to this unless that’s changed. As I type, 2-0 awful defending and game over already. What are we doing at the back!!
Ruben booked exactly the same as a Wolves player yesterday.
Runs over from distance, obviously says something, card straight out.
I assume it’s for dissent and about time too. It’s only 30 years too late!
3 nil
What time is the antiques roadshow on?
Grealish gets a pen that is an utter joke decision, imo.
He went down half an hour after Ramsey looked at him in a dangerous fashion.
0-3
What price they double that score?
Our defence excelling again.
Why are our players so stupid at times? Ramsey should never have got so close, hes been done, just let him go and hope someone clears his cross. We’re infuriating to watch at times.
Just saying…we miss Mings when he’s not available.
Men against boys, weak, insipid and embarrassing.
Andy Gray just called us “abject” and Keyes called us “passive”
Both correct, imo.
Bailey? Joke player in the Prem, imo.
All followers no leaders. As soon a Martinez let the first one in – he should have done better, the fight went out of them.
2nd goal a laughable header by our defender away from his own keeper and 3rd a blatant con which should have been a booking for Grealish not a pen.
Well Grealish has lost a lot of friends over that ridiculous pen claim .
Hope he stays in Manchester as he lost my respect.
Bailey is a joke, actually rather pathetic at times…
Yes JG has finally done an Ashley Young…both in Manchester..I have defended him for Villa England and City but today the worm has turned….was this another VAR balls up to add to the pot full yesterday ?
From the halfway line to the goalie again.
This does my head in.
3-0 down, go fucking forward!!!
Watkins pulls one back.
3-1 with some city defending on a par with ours.
£90m of “talent” just subbed off…and rightly so – Digne, Bailey and Buendia all missing in action this afternoon.
5-3-2.
Or is it 6-2-2?
Game over and damage limitation it is then.
I doubt it will work.
Great effort from Coutinho then and we actually have them under the cosh!
Great to see Villa playing with pride in a desperate situation.
I don’t know whether we have lost pace in the game , we seem to be a lot slower playing the game. We certainly don’t have the brains from what I’ve seen lately. This second half showing Chambers Ramsey have not got it along with the other defenders, if this stays the result then I called it right. We need to get rid.
We’re winning the second half 1-0 🤣🤣
We won the second half. Mind you we didn’t turn up for the first. Coutinho is looking much sharper in these 20 minute cameo’s
Watched the last 20 minutes and thought we played well. Duran looks like he might be the real deal – great shot on the turn that hit the bar – typical of Villa’s luck – or lack of it.
Bl**dy coms doing my head in with their sycophantic Citeh commentary.
I thought we would be buried but I think we finished with pride in tact.
Badger, we all know your views on Mings which, fwiw, I don’t fully agree with. The facts says that we lose when Mings isn’t playing.
UTV
And Watkins scored again – a big positive
Hitch, we looked terrible at the back again.
I agree, the stats say we lose when Mings doesn’t play.
But I don’t think Chambers is even decent back up, let alone an improvement.
We need a better CB. If not 2.
And after that first half performance, I stand by the comment the other week. Most of that team need to go.
The reality is that City totally took their foot off the gas and let us look better.
As for Grealish, they’ve just shown a replay and Keyes said he went over two minutes late.
Gray said Ramsay caught his heel and that’s probably true.
But it didn’t cause him to go over. His belated dive did that.
I often defended him, because he was often genuinely knocked over, albeit it easily because of his light weight.
But that was blatant cheating today and I’ll call him out this time.
Cheating Bastard!
On a positive note, Villa Women move into the top 6 with a 6-2 (away) win over Brighton.
We’re also attracting some of the top women’s players which is a massive positive.
Some way to break into the WSL (usual) top 4 – just
Ike the men’s game – yawn – but at least our owners are showing positive intent.
The summer transfer window will show whether that can be translated into the men’s team.
I just have a feeling that we might be on the edge of something really spectacular!
Badger, I know you love a conspiracy but Emery has confirmed that Mings has a ‘minor’ injury and whilst it was hoped he’d be fit for the Citeh game are pencilling him in for a return against Arsenal.
Yet there was no mention of any injury just this morning on the OS.
Not that that means much, as was proven by Duran not even being on the bench.
“We’re also attracting some of the top women’s players which is a massive positive.”
Call me a cynic, but I’ll bet that’s only because of the wages we’re paying.
No doubt FFP doesn’t apply to the womens game yet.
Not that I’m in the slightest bit interested.
But no doubt some are.
Cynic 🙂
Come on Badger – it’s not all doom and gloom mate.
I’m sure we’re paying competitive wages but the players we have signed – notably Daly – could pick and choose where she went. Like Emery, in Carla Ward we have an elite WSL manager – and I want Villa at the top of men’s and women’s football.
UTV
No, you’re right Hitch, it’s not all doom and gloom.
It just is when we lose and play poorly.
I don’t think we’re an automatic relegation candidate anymore this season, for a start.
“notably Daly – could pick and choose where she went.”
I rather suspect that proves my point.
I find it difficult to appreciate us doing well when I criticise City for buying their way to the top.
But at least there’s no suggestion that we’re doing anything illegally, I guess.
Badger – there is a difference between fiddling the numbers to buy any player you want and pay any wages necessary and trying to work within FFP limits – even though I acknowledge there will be attempts at stretching the rules.
It doesn’t really matter what I think – or does it?
Isn’t there a general feeling amongst fans that team backed by sovereign wealth have been able to ‘outsmart’ FFP because they have the financial strength to do so?
We have incredibly wealthy owners but when faced with sovereign wealth they are powerless. That’s the reality for the future.
I don’t disagree with anything you’re saying, Hitch.
I’m just being my usual grumpy self after losing a game 🙂
Going back to the game, I expected us to lose anyway, so I don’t know why I’m so annoyed, tbh.
It’s probably best that we just move on as a club and think about the next game.
Which is Arsenal.
(sigh 🙁 )