it’s yet another massive game.
And one that I think might really be a season maker or breaker, as opposed to the Spurs game.
Southampton’s home record is truly appalling and it’s the reason they are where they are in the league.
In 13 games, they’ve won only three, drawn two and lost eight according to footystats.
Actually, I’d recommend you have a glance at that site, as it makes for interesting reading.
While we have the worst record for conceding goals in the league and that’s partly the reason, we have the second highest goals per game ratio.
At least we’re entertaining if you’re a neutral fan.
Anyway, the point is that Southampton playing at home actually gives them a 19% disadvantage compared to playing away which is somewhat strange, albeit it makes sense because they’re a decent counter-attacking side.
Squad status then and the good news for us is that Mings should go straight back in defence, probably in place of Engels.
As for Southampton, Kyle Walker-Peters, Sofiane Boufal and Nathan Redmond are all unavailable.
Those Southampton home statistics give me encouragement, but we all know we’re probably the best club in the whole English game for bringing poor runs of any kind to an end for the opposition.
The fact that Southampton counter well worries me though, given our horrendous defence and it’s likelyhood in making a costly mistake at any time. Couple this with the fact that either the team or the management, or probably both don’t understand what “see the game out” means and well, I’m a lot more than worried.
Still, I was listening to radio WM on the way home from work and the question was “would you be be happy with a point?”.
And I’m really not sure I would.
I’d have been happy with a point at home to Spurs, but feel this is a game where we really ought and really need to get all three.
The problem I have is that I keep thinking that if we can’t beat these with that home record, then who can we beat?
Not that our away record is any good.
I suspect this game has something like a 2-2 draw written all over it.
But I can’t contemplate us drawing, let alone losing this one.
Hence I’m going for a 2-1 win.
If we don’t get it, I suspect I’m going to be feeling pretty downbeat tomorrow afternoon.
Meaning it might actually be fortunate in that I won’t have to witness it, because I’m working.
This is depressing
Been saying that all season Hitch ,big question mark on Terrys abilities as a coach, even bigger one on Smith, we have only 3 player’s playing today, the others are marking time on going to Wembley. I’m disgusted at our efforts in this game and no effort fron our midfielders only Grealish and our number 9. The rest are piss poor , no shots on goal first half, Disgusting. Oh and I’ve said this with Nath beforehand, we should be playing our young players they been at the club longer than one other player on the pitch and he got his chance.
Aston Villa failed to have a single attempt on goal in the first half against Southampton – the first time the Saints have prevented their opponents from having a shot in the opening 45 minutes of a Premier League game since April 2014, also against Aston Villa.
So, so predictable.
Another cr*p record for our cr*p side.
Come and play the Villa for a moral boosting day out!
The only good thing so far is I’ve lost the stream 🙂
Be thankful you’re at work Badger
Morale but moral will do 🙂
Finally, 4 at the back. We have stuck with 5 for too long. Too little too late.
Dean Smith is a worried man, on close ups you see the pain in his face, I’m afraid we’re for the drop. And have to say a fu;*ing disgrace to football.
Looked like he spent most of the game shaking his head on the touchline. He’s out of his depth as had been said many times before. A mid table championship manager who got lucky with Grealish and Abraham being 2 top PL players in the 2nd tier last year.
We’re going down – the signs have been there for months. Cant keep a clean sheet on the road, concede the most chances and shot, most individual errors leading to goals, most leads thrown away. Its painful as it took so much good will and effort to get us back even to this position. The club is on a slippery slope again and I fear where we are heading again.
the only positive we can take from today,is the end of the three at the back. we can not defend with 3 or 4 but three centre backs means less ball players and to many side way passing at the back.
saints had little more ball and a little more passing but they created hell of a lot more chances. cayuse the were more direct. their passing was forwards and we pass too slow / backwards and sideways.
we were lucky to not lose by a greater margin, we only looked bothered at the end. hopefully i will enjoy the boxing tonight. surely that will show me more of fight then this lot.
i feel sorry for the fans travelling to wembley next week. if we turn up with the same attitude, we will be on the end of another embarrassing cup final result
We deserve to go down – imho we’re the worst side in the EPL
I don’t think I have the stomach to watch next week.
Big shake up at the end of the season. Don’t think the owners will have the patience to stick with a Smith or Terry but will try and entice a ‘name’ – probably from Europe.
Grealish will go and possibly Mings but we might hold onto McGinn – mainly because he’s been injured which might affect his price. Another team rebuild and another two or three seasons in the Championship – and that’s me being optimistic!
I think we are the worst team in the division too. I think we will go down, but come back up under a new manager. That’s just me trying to find something positive
No two ways a bout that Nath, what time the actual fight ,it start at twelve but I’m wanting the start of the boxing.
i cant wait bill 🙂 it will be more exciting for sure. the time will be dependant on the under cards it will be around 4 ish i guess or avoid the news in morning and watch the rerun 🙂 who do you think will win bill ?
i am going for fury in round 5 ko but the fight can go anyways it really is a clash of styles. hope you enjoy too
4 or 5 at the back it makes no difference. We get overun in midfield. Luis is a waste of space as a DM i would rather have drinkwater and nakamba in the middle than luis.
Don;t want to pick on individuals too much as that aside I think we’ve got a poor mid table championship manager with an assistant who is more interested in whats happening at Chelsea rather than the club who pay his wages,
However, Suso has let the club down massively too. Its obvious Nakamba, Trezeguet, Luiz amongst others are not good enough for this level (perhaps in Luiz’s case its age, but the others are well below the standard required in the PL.
Come the end of the season, the club needs yet another clearout. Sad times
I feel sorry for Grealish, Minns, Sammata the rest are nobody or has been. I still wonder what type of minds we have at the club, game after game showing how inept we are in the game yet he still persist to play 5 at the back. I’ll say this the Villa fans are fans that stands for anything thrown at them , I think the fans that bought tickets for the cup will be sorry because Villa will be annihilated by City .
I feel Villa should get what they can for Grealish its a shame to see him week after week playing his heart out and getting nowhere.
And Hogan scores again. Nice finish too
No doubt we will sell him to the noses for nothing and he’ll do us over in the Championship next year – ‘cos that’s all our management are good for on current form!
On a personal note I’m pleased for Hogan.
UTTER GARBAGE – Probably too many thinking about next week. Commentator said that he expected a team with fight considering the position we are in, but NOTHING!
Play the kids and reserves in the final as punishment for an inept performance. We WILL get hammered anyway.
Today looked like Premier league v mid championship. We ARE the worst team in this league. Norwich will overhaul us before end of the season.
“We didn’t compete well enough and we didn’t show enough desire to get onto the ball. The thing that hurts the most is that there was a lack of fight and competitive edge.”
Smith’s comments after game!
So why has this become a regular occurrence? Poor management or just shite players?
One more thing. If El Ghazi is ever allowed to put on a Villa shirt again after his pitiful effort to get off the pitch because a slap to the face, then we deserve to go down.
I was positive going into the game today, esp given Southampton’s home record, but wow that was horrific!
They went in heavy on Grealish every time he got the ball, and that was enough to stop our attacks. And our defence, well where do you start?! Good job Mings was there, as the others were hopeless.
The truth is too many of our players are not premier league standard.
El Ghazi; Was inconsistent in the championship, so no surprise here
Hause- Scares me every time he has the ball.
Trezeguet. Honestly, we would have been better keeping Green.
Nakamba. As good as he is at winning the ball, he cant pass more than 5 yards. You see when he has chances to cross or play longer passes, he just shys away.
Drinkwater- Enough said
Right now, we are being kept in games by a handful of players. We desperately need McGinn back in the team, and maybe even Davis will make a difference.
I know I may be in the minority but I think DS and the rest of the training team should be sacked next week after we get battered by Man Cty.
Simply because they (STAFF AND PLAYERS) are not learning from there mistakes as we are still making the same ones now as we did at the start of the season and the performances are getting worse except for the odd game.
And as others have said they are simply out of there depth
So make a change now and who knows we might just survive.
As we are definitely going down with the current set up.
I can’t see Smith et al being sacked before the end of the season and, frankly, I don’t think it would make an iota of difference. The owners kept faith with Smith / Terry because they got us promoted but I now think they’ll go at the end of the season whether or not we stay up (not that I think we will avoid relegation and if we do then there truly are some sh*te teams in the EPL).4
Next team for league if fit
Reina
Elhamody engels ming targett
Mcginn nakamba hourihane
Grealish
Samatta Davies
Don’t know if there is any truth in story that Smith and Terry had a bust up in the tunnel which threatened to get physical until they were pulled apart by Southampton officials.
The Beeb called BS on that one Holte.
But somr of the fans were apparently giving the players stick after the game.
Smith got angry when pressed and said it was bull shit – showing signs of pressure unsurprisingly. The reporter who tweeted in deleted the tweet and ‘ran for the hills’ with John Terry in hot pursuit 🙂
Poch still available get him in got 2weeks get them ready for next league match.maybe keep Smith as assistant manager but Terry go to Chelsea ruin them instead.
He may keep us up but at least it will give him time to be ready for next season in the championship.
Plus we might be able keep grealish and mcginn then. Our only hope is we play better against the top sides as not expecting to win.
But what a glorious chance to get out of trouble they had today and then not turn up gutted.
Why would Poch come to Villa?
I think we need to get real here – there is no saviour about to appear over the hill – more like Monty Python banging their coconut shells 🙂