Trust the Villa to go from a 4-0 win to a 4-0 defeat in a week.
Sometimes I just don’t know how we do some of the things we do, honestly.
I thought in the first half we actually did okay and just as I expected, we held our own, although I thought Watkins was poor. We were unlucky to go one down after a handball was given against Ash Young. His arm was well wide of his body and I get it, but it didn’t seem particularly unnatural to me and I’m not convinced about these rules at all. It is what it is and I thought Newcastle’s lead was somewhat undeserved then.
The second half however, was a different kettle of fish.
We just failed to compete and there were some abysmal performances on show.
Young was being ripped to pieces by Almiron and had his worst game probably since his return to the club, in my opinion. I can somewhat forgive him though, as he’s generally been excellent for us lately.
Watkins though; I really like him but he’s stretched my patience. I’ve overlooked his weaknesses for what seems ages, in the hope that he’ll come good, but he was shocking today. Too many times, good play was ruined by his poor touches and passes.
Mings? Yet again I find myself wondering why so many really rate him. I’ve tried to hide my dislike, but he has too many faults for me.
Ings was yet again invisible, Coutinho looks disinterested, which dumbfounds me considering the Brazil manager was at the game and the team generally doesn’t seem able to compete, fitness-wise.
In fairness, Newcastle are a big side, but that’s something we’ve complained has been lacking in our team for a long time. It’s the same old, same old and we don’t seem to compete physically, meaning we resort to fouling.
A lot of our play went down the left hand side, as did Newcastle’s as they continually played lovely diagonal balls to our left back area. Contrast that with some of our passing and it’s not difficult to see why we’re where we are in the league.
I expected a defeat today, but I’m now of a mind that says Emery needs to have a clearout and should probably start with all the players I’ve mentioned.
The only plus point today was I thought Luiz was excellent in the first half and showed more of the player I think he is. He wasn’t anything like as good in the second half, but it’s hardly surprising when you consider the overall performance.
Oh and it seemed obvious to me that Martinez should have gone straight off after Mings clattered him.
He looked totally out of it on the telly, let alone face to face and how our staff didn’t see it surprised me. With all this dementia stuff that we’re seeing these days, you can’t be too careful, especially after it’s taken minutes to decide.
I’m intrigued as to what Unai Emery thought of that performance, but no doubt he won’t have been impressed.
Man U next, hmm.
After today, I don’t know what to think.
Comments
93 responses to “Newcastle 4-0 Villa; A Jeckyll and Hyde performance”
It is the modern way – you are not hiring one man any more but a whole team. Usually about 5 of them. Perhaps Unai did not have a dead ball coach at Villarreal – or the man did not want to leave. However I am sure McPhee is on probation and I will not be surprised if he goes later.
Emery is a Basque, as is/are at least one more of his team. Villarreal now know why you shouldn’t put all your Basques in one exit.
Very clever OLL, love it 🙂
lol.
Nice photos of yesterdays training session with Emery in the Dail Mail. Been looking forward to him starting!!!!!
Table climbing to begin in earnest!!!
What are peoples expectancy this season now under Emery? Personally, i’m trying to not get carried away with any euphoria. I mean, we still have the same players that have let us down time and time again so far this season, I think I’d be a lunatic to expect them all to suddenly look like top 8 players. But, hopefully he can switch up the first 11 so that it feels fresh, more energy and to his style. Emery has a big big job, nothing like he’s had before in the toughest league in the world so it’s going to be a learning curve for him too. I think I would be happy with just comfortable survival, 11th to 14 place finish. Anything better and that would be amazing. I’d also like to see some big backing by the owners in January. NOT EDEN HAZARD though please!! Don’t want another Coutinho situation. United will be an interesting game on Sunday that’s for sure.
Adam, Emery’s impressive CV was achieved without ever being at the “biggest spenders in Europe”. So I think we can expect a better showing from the existing players, because he gets the best out of the hand he is dealt.. As I see it Emery’s biggest problem right now is how few players at the club can shoot hard and accurately, and I am not sure he can cure that. So at the first opportunity players with that ability will be brought in.
Emery is famous for his attention to detail therefore I hope to be posting no more “Why is that still happening?” because before I can ask, he will have spotted and sorted it.
As usual the pundits will say all players start with a clean sheet meaning some out-of-favour sorts may be back in the team. But is also means the previous manager’s favourites have to earn their shirt again. I expect some will fail.
Agree with your comments OLL.
One interesting snippet I read (but it may not be accurate) is that Guilbert is still banned from the first team. Whether that’s because Emery hasn’t yet had time to look at the situation or whether there’s some wider instruction ‘from above’ remains to be seen.
I saw that too, on B’ham Live, think it was on Monday.
As you say, it could simply be that the new coaching staff haven’t had time to look at him yet – but if it isn’t, we really do have to wonder who the player managed to upset so much (and so early) that he’s been frozen out under Smith, Gerrard, and possibly now Emery?
The situation is even worse than that of Sansom – at least he’s still around the senior squad – but both have now been going on for a couple of years,
Keeping expectations down, a mid-table finish and maybe a decent cup run in the FA Cup (assuming that we don’t draw ManUre AGAIN in the 3rd or 4th rounds!
Adam, that’s a good question, which I’ve been thinking about.
I’m quite excited by Emery’s appointment, as I do see him as a quality manager.
But it’s not always gone too well and I very much suspect he’s chosen the right time to leave Villareal. Mind you, if he achieves for us, I won’t mind him leaving at an opportune time.
Like some, I have doubts, but honestly can’t think of anyone better that we could reasonably expect to come to the Villa.
So, first of all, I expect players to be playing with a smile on their faces again, because while they might not like the extra hard work that Unai likes to see, they’ll know they’re playing for a manager who knows what he’s doing; who plays some sort of system and things will actually work at least some of the time.
A manager who will improve players, as opposed to destroy them mentally.
It won’t come immediately, but I do expect it to happen.
And then I expect the sense of a plan, coupled with players that will suit our system coming in, in the window, will translate into a better points tally.
I don’t expect miracles and just moving comfortably away from the relegation zone will do me.
Gerrard really has set us back and Purslow has a lot to answer for.
I expect he’ll get his down the line.
And mostly, if we do indeed have troublemakers in the squad, I expect him to get them gone, sharpish.
I think foreign managers have an advantage here, as if there is even the slightest language barrier, it enables a distance, or lack of rapport to be maintained and things can be seen from a more neutral pov.
That might be bad wording, but what I mean is, it’s less likely players will become “matey”.
I think it’s why many players saw Houllier as aloof. He said something and then McAllister had to calm the waters, apparently.
I also expect plenty of things not going as we’d like.
Which is why I’m thinking mostly about how long it will be before we sack him too hastily.
It’s the Villa way and I can just see it coming;
We have a manager with a superb CV and we sack him after a year.
I honestly hope not.
The Villa send me video’s and one I’ve recently received is their first training day , im not sure if anybody else has seen it but Emery getting stuck in with the team . It’s about 3-4 minutes of video and interesting.I’m wonderingif I can put the link on here.
https://www.avfc.co.uk/video/0_v2e2v0b1
I think that’s it Bill.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAY54jvd8Eg
I know we’ve seen it before but it’s class.
https://theathletic.com/3754614/2022/11/03/anwar-el-ghazi-interview-aston-villa-interview/?source=twitteruk
Super interview with El Ghazi. Real shame. Seems he loves the Villa, too.
He was very unlucky to be dumped by Gerrard without having a chance to show what he could do – and all because SG didn’t like wingers.
Change of direction. Just watching Birmingham Live -Dan Rolinson and Mat Kendrick. Kendrick stated Villa now have their first elite manager since Gerrard Houllier. I have no argument over this view. What did interest me is that Emery could lift us to new levels. This is the team Houllier put out agains Man Utd in a 2-2 draw.
Aston Villa: Friedel, Luke Young, Dunne, Collins, Warnock, Albrighton, Hogg, Bannan, Downing, Ashley Young, Agbonlahor. Subs: Guzan, Delfouneso, Osbourne, Lichaj, Herd, Lowry, Johnson.
Man Utd: Van der Sar, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Park, Fletcher, Carrick, Nani, Hernandez, Berbatov. Subs: Amos, Smalling, Fabio Da Silva, O’Shea, Obertan, Macheda, Gibson.
I’d argue that the team that day is not as good as today. I’d expect Emery to lift us to higher levels. Can’t wait!
It’s nowhere near as good as today’s team, Sid. But they battled and were unlucky not to win that day. What is most interesting here is Houllier’s willingness to give Villa’s then kids the opportunity, which should be applauded. Albrighton didn’t disappoint. Bannan has also forged a good career, albeit not in the PL. Will Emery follow suit with Archer, Iroegbunam (who should be recalled) etc?
TBF I think we had a massive injury list at the time. What struck me most about that game was that we had a real go at Utd. I’ve seen us try to contain them so many times and then just roll over and lose. We were unlucky not to win
In retrospect, that’s a poor side Sid. Disjointed and led by Gabby the gob, once Dunne and Collins left, it would seem.
That’s the thing, isn’t it?
On paper now we have a good side.
You just need to utilise it properly, in playing to it’s strengths and resting whatever isn’t performing.
Oh, without favourites and a blinkered way of setting the team up, too.
The (lack of) quality on the bench is shocking there. I can only assume there were a few injuries at the time!
I wonder is Archer is the next Delfouneso or next Gabby/Vassell for Villa?
I’m not sure what you mean there, BFR.
Gabby scored, but was a knob, imo, while Delf and Vass always struck me as good pros, albeit not good enough for the required level.
Hence I want a scorer with a good approach.
Delf & Vass were typical Villa: ‘the next big thing’, We seem to have had so many come out of the junior ranks that way who were really impressive as teenagers, but just couldn’t make the grade in the ‘real’ world.
Badger, I meant that Gabby and Vass fulfilled their footballing potential (to a degree), while Delf, unfortunately, didn’t, despite looking better than them when he first came through under MON.
Gabby’s pundit reputation seems to have tarnished his image as a Villa legend. I don’t like him, and he massively underachieved in the second half of his career, but he’s Villa’s record PL scorer at the end of the day, and was big game player, especially against the scum.
Emery can still pick one of those players Houlier picked! Bizarre.
Watched Emery’s first press conference and thought he handled it pretty well given the way he was treated last time over his struggles with English.
Bielsa never even tried to speak in English but apparently that’s OK for him!
He wasn’t going to be drawn on goals for this season which was very sensible but did talk about his own ambitions for the club.
It will be very interesting to see if he can get those underperforming players like Watkins and McGinn back to something like the level we know they can play at.
The only downside for me was the presence of oily Purslow to whom, like MacPhee, nothing seems to stick.
He did Hitch but old Purslipps is one oily b@£$@d, you wouldn’t buy a second hand car off him!
Okay. Question for the day:
Hands up who’s really excited about our new Manager?
I am!!!!
Absolutely Bum Bum! Can’t wait for World Cup to be over. Emery will have had near enough two months with the squad if which nearly a month will be spent at Bodimor Heath drilling the players. This will give him time to suss out what needs to be done and then the January transfer window opens. Very exciting times.
Just watching the unveiling of Emery with Purslow. He said that Emery will have the “personal support of our owners”. I read this as Purslow is out of the picture with regards hiring and firing managers. Further, I reckon Emery will have a direct line to NSWE about what he wants. Perhaps this is the sidelining of Purslow to focus on finances. Or is he a dead man walking waiting for the inevitable?
Sid, just read a piece in Brum Live which suggests that you are right about Purslow being side lined on football matters. Emery is quoted as saying that he is dealing direct with Sawiris on transfer matters so It does indeed look like the owners patience with Purslow has run out – Good.
I’ve been saying for weeks that Purslow’s role at Villa is now almost exclusively on the commercial side, in particular the stadium redevelopment.
That was clear as soon as SG was fired, and even more so when news started to leak in the following 24 hours about the actual events in the directors lounge at Craven Cottage.
He will not be publically ‘demoted’ and will stay as a mouthpiece for the club, but he has nothing to do with the footballing side!
Leicester win at Everton so Villa slide closer to the relegation zone.
Tomorrow Southampton are at home to Newcastle – any money on Southampton and Man U winning?