Villa 0-1 West Brom Jack Woodward full time report
That was poor wasn’t it?
I’m struggling to think of a single player who produced anything like a noteworthy performance today, although if I was forced it would probably have been Lescott and Richards.
The goal did take a nasty deflection, after all and I can’t even blame Guzan for that one.
What worried me more than the result though was the way we went about the game.
Where was all the energy and pace we’ve been used to?
We just weren’t at the races at all today were we?
The passing was rubbish, particularly from Grealish and Gil early on and if your two most creative players are struggling, well, you’re in trouble.
We just didn’t click at all today and you can go through most of our outfield players and have complaints.
Hutton had quite a bit of space down the wing and he found himself in the right positions, but his crossing was mostly abysmal.
Amavi was poor by his standards and gave the ball away a few times.
Sinclair was just utterly invisible and even though he’s our most on form striker, just never got involved.
Gil tried, but just couldn’t get himself into it enough to be effective.
And most disappointing for me was Grealish.
Everything he did seemed to take an age and he seemed far too happy to stand over the ball thinking about it, instead of using his instinct, which is to run at the defence as soon as it comes to him. His passing was probably the worst, in my opinion; hence it was a real off day on his part.
One player I would give some credit to is Gabby.
He looked a lot more up for it today, but being better than he has been of late really isn’t saying much.
Even if you don’t think Albion were very good, think about the chances they created.
I remember Guzan having had his hands stung a few times, where he made a couple of decent stops, but also made himself look a mug on a couple of other occasions.
The point is, I can’t remember Boaz Myhill having to make one decent save.
And that’s disappointing.
We created next to nothing and were forced to try playing it longish in the first half, a daft tactic seeing as we were aiming at Gabby, while they have massive defenders.
Hence bringing on Gestede for Gil was probably the right call, seeing as we had little option.
Unless you call upping the pace, getting the ball out wide and trying to actually get behind their defence an option.
Which seemed the best bet for me, but from memory we only achieved it once (Amavi).
It just didn’t happen today, in any area you care to look at and it frankly just wasn’t good enough, an opinion that I think will be shared, seeing as the Villa crowd was very subdued.
The worrying thing is that today’s result really doesn’t bode well for a certain game we’ve got coming up next.
My current stance on Tim Sherwood?
I like most of the players he’s signed and he still gets plenty of time from me.
Calling for him to go already is just daft.
I actually thought this was a decent game early on, even though Albion made most of the running.
But as the game went on, so we looked less likely to score.
Poor, just poor, imo 🙁
I also like most of the players he’s signed – apart from Gestede and Ayew. We should have bought a proven Premier League goalscorer and a proper goalkeeper. I think there’s a big possibility of us going down this season. You look at the teams above us and it’s hard to see where the points are going to come from. We really need to be picking points up against West Brom and Leicester, don’t we?! A sign of how far behind we have fallen! I think Tim has improved our squad on the whole, but other sides have also strenghtened, so we haven’t really made up much ground. If anything, we’ve probably fallen a bit further behind other sides, as we no longer have a Bent or Benteke type player to bail us out!
Charlie Austin suddenly looks cheap at £15m – that said I’m not sure he’d have done anything today with that service.
I think this is the flattest I’ve felt in the last few seasons as this season I had quite high expectations for the first time in ages. I was looking forward to this season.
Blues will be rubbing their hands together in anticipation of Tuesday. I expect no fear and 100% effort from them – just hope we can at least match their effort.
Tim boasts about his win percentage at Spurs, I wonder what his defeat percentage is with us.
Sad tonight.
Bencey, we all knew it would take time for the players to gel, which is why I think the “Deadwood out” comments are somewhat pathetic (I’m not talking about you, don’t worry).
But you’re right, we need to be beating the teams that we expect to be around us, even though it’s early days.
As for the striker and goalie, correct and I hope Sherwood still has money to spend in the winter window, as I think we’re going to need it.
I don’t think fans are calling for his head just yet, but he’s got to understand that messing players about like he has from day one won’t go down well , tell us why he’s being bloody minded over Kodak? Tell us why he’s pissed Gil about from the off, stop being the I’m going to do this and its falling around his arse, did you see his face again today? a picture tells its own story ? He’s lost for excuses again, I’m beginning to think a spell in the lower division might get the players to play to be in the premiere, because they don’t seem to play to win Europe games or cup games, I’m dreading Birmingham Tuesday ,that will put the cat among the pigeons will it not.
Bill, I’d be lost for excuses too.
It was the players who were crap today, not the manager, imo.
The pace and tactics might have been dictated by the manager, but simple short passes by the players aren’t and for me, this result lies squarely with the players.
We were just poor today and I can’t really point the finger at Sherwood this time.
If you can’t pass the ball, it doesn’t matter what the manager says/does.
That said, it’s quite simply his job to sort it.
Bloody hell; City 0-2 West Ham.
Jack Woodward’s comment added.
Another game Sinclair was useless, really is obvious he’s useless 89 minutes a game. I don’t get how he starts. Ayew need’s a run upfront. Kozak obviously won’t get one so unless Sherwood bought Ayew having no idea who he was, he’d realize as a lone CF he not only scores, he brings players into the game. He’s the only current player who can get double digit goals and has before at a team about similar, maybe less talent than we currently have.
We can no longer play Gil, Grealish and Sinclair because they don’t track back and they leave a big hole to fill from the midfield.
A team of
Guzan
Bacuna-Clark-Richards-Amavi
Sanchez-Westwood
Gil-Veretout-Grealish
Ayew
Is probably the best of our current bunch. Well Gana over Westwood. I wouldn’t put Traore currently in there, maybe over Gil, but Veretout will at least track back and cover the midfield some.
I’d definitely put Traore in there, as he’d have injected some much needed pace that might have caught Albion out today.
Gana would be in there too, as I feel we miss him.
I’ve never been overly keen on Westwood, as he is just so average, imo.
As for Ayew, it seems you have a much higher opinion of him than most of us.
Yes, he performed last season, but in a much poorer league.
That said, I do appreciate we haven’t seen him in your preferred position yet and you probably know more about him than I (and pretty much all of us) do.
Disagree on a much poorer league, I don’t think Ligue 1 is half as bad as people make it out, plus he played for Lorient, wasn’t like it was say, Marseille or Lyon. Big fan of his and think he’d be performing really well as a lone striker. He brings others into the game brilliantly.
I like Westwood a lot, he doesn’t have a lot to his game but what he does, he does well. And while I’m also a fan of Traore, Grealish, Gil and Traore don’t work together well enough to put that kind of pressure on the midfield. Veretout gives us the option to drop him back in necessary and play a 4-3-2-1 type formation. At the moment though Gil’s stuck on hour long performances due to constant injury so he could be benched and brought on late.
Gana and Sanchez make a great midfield though and I so hope to see Clark starting again.
Sorry Andrew but to laud Ayew and slate Sinclair is mind blowing at this point in time.
Yes Sinclair can blow a little hot and cold but to say he does nothing for 89 minutes is madness, do you actually watch the games?
And yes, i am aware he had a bad day yesterday.
Of course I do, he was crap against Leicester too, I’ve been watching him since his Swansea days and he wasn’t even better than Dyer or Routeledge, he scored but has little talent. Swansea fans would back me up on that. I also watched Ayew at Lorient and can tell you he’s much better overall and can actually bring players into the game if given the chance as a striker.
Sorry guys but it was no more than I expected. Over expectation is becoming harsh reality. Another season of struggle I fear.
You expected Albion to beat us at home?
I didn’t.
I thought a draw Badger never expected us to win
I posted it – ‘I have a really bad feeling about today’ is the words I used and felt that Berahino would score. Isn’t that consistent with our experiences over the last few years?
We were off the pace today. Second to every ball, giving them to much time on the ball.
Very disappointed with our performance. We never really looked like scoring.
Not impressed with Gestede who for a big guy lacks strength and any threat in the air.
Keep playing like we did today and I don’t hold much hope. Definitely need a proven
Goal scorer and a replacement for Hutton. I can’t recall Hutton getting a decent cross in the box.
Overall I didn’t think we deserved anything from today’s game. I know their goal took a deflection but they did create a couple of good goalscoring opportunities
Would have been lucky to have got a penalty and was it in the Box ?
Oh well that’s enough moaning from me, I’m sure we will improve.
We’ve not got Benteke to get us out the shot either grim times
Karl, agreed.
Second to every ball.
Bad luck or a lack of effort?
I have a feeling the players were told to slow down a bit so they saved some for the second half.
What I find amazing is Deadwood said the dressing room had a losing mentality….Yet against West Brom and Leicester last week he only picked 3 of his own signings in the starting 11!!!
I loved the positivity and personality he brought to the club that undeniably saved us from the drop and I totally get that “the new signings new time to gel” So play them so they can gel…what is going to happen? At worse we lose every game….which is happening anyway!!
If he keeps persisting with the same 11 then it isn’t going to get any better…That’s been proved over the last how ever many season!!
In fairness B6, I noticed the lack of his own signings today, too.
There’s no doubt that Villa fans on the whole are becoming concerned.
But Sherwood does have a point, in saying that we haven’t been as bad as the points would suggest, I feel.
It’s very early days, is still my way of thinking and teams that try to stifle us, as Albion did, will probably be more sucessful than teams that come at us.
That’s where we’re at our most potent, in the counter and fast attacks.
I think we tried to play Albion’s game today and it was a bloody disaster.
The table dosnt lie though Badger
No it doesn’t, but the table only shows the result, it doesn’t show how well a teams played for 90 minutes. The result against Leicester doesn’t show how well we played for over an hour and how poor they were up until their first goal.
Ay what u talking about Andrew! The table shows that we are fourth from bottom because that’s where we deserve to be at the moment. How good or bad we play is irrelevant
I wonder if playing Rugby on the VP pitch will lift the curse? Villa teams have looked jaded as soon as they emerge, we expect a better showing away from home. Perhaps a rugby fan will set fire to a stand and get us some playing time at another ground.
Poor at the basics as has been said, passes going astray, midfielders running towards the player on the ball instead of into space in front of him. When players take a pass and one-touch it back where it came from, you know they have no confidence. I thought Gabby was back to his lazy self today, Westwood was awful, especially at dead ball kicks, and I expect more end product from Grealish. He is supposed to be taking them on down the middle.
DEADWOOD OUT would be the best solution!
B6.
And who in?
Probably Rodgers when Liverpool bring in Klopp – no better in my opinion.
Klopp’s going to Liverpool? Seems doubtful that one.
Well interest from both parties is there according to the latest Guardian podcast. Who knows if it happens.
Which is why we should be proactive and just go for it
Agree. Break the bank and go for Klopp. The amount of money saved for sacking managers will pay for itself
That’s never going to happen because the squad doesn’t have the mentality that Klopp’s crazy ass needs. He needs ruthlessness, overly hardworking and the willingness in 1-2 seasons to be out injured for months on end because for a full season you over did it. Oh and then he leaves.
True but he is a good manager that would improve us
Of course he’d improve us but we’d have half the team injured and almost relegated in 2-3 years like he did.
Someone who isn’t tactically inept, picks players on form and gives everyone a fair crack of the whip. It’s not rocket science Badger. I can’t give you a name because I don’t really watch lower league or foreign football, which seems to be all we can attract these days. Having said that how about Nigel Pearson? Not the biggest name around but one we could attract. Has experience of managing in the Prem and is available. Whilst not everyone’s cup of tea he can’t do much worse than the clown we have at the moment!
Marvin, Rodgers?
Hmm, interesting.
He wouldn’t be my choice, although there is a point to be made about him not getting to sign the players he wants.
B6,
We slated Sherwood for not playing Gil, but he got his chance and was garbage today, imo. Point proven, even though I rate him as a player.
Grealish should have been hooked before Gil, imo, but that’s down to the gaffer.
Nigel Pearson?
Jeez, he’s about on a par with Sherwood at best, imo and upset loads of his players and the chairman.
Protecting his son did for him, but god, he seems a disaster waiting to happen.
How is that sort an improvement?
The Villa just wouldn’t touch him with a bargepole, imo.
And rightly so.
Gill was garbage last week as well weren’t he Badger? But then some ain’t allowed to have a bad game where others get picked regardless of how shit they play.
Gabby has been garbage all season but continues to get picked
Bacuna can’t defend but gets picked at right back
Richards isn’t a centre half but gets played there (allegedly he was promised that position from reading your information)
Westwood brings absolutely nothing to the table, but constantly gets picked.
Deadwood brought in no fewer than 13 new players in the summer, yet continues to overlook them and instead plays the same players he has already branded as having a losing mentality!
Who the f–k would put on 2 strikers when you’re 2 up away from home and with 20 minutes to go? .
You’re obviously happy with Dim Deadwood and think he’s great. Me? I don’t. He was a decent short term fix to keep us up last season and should of been replaced in the summer, when more managers with a better pedigree and more experience were available.
DEADWOOD OUT
B6,
So er, you can’t name anyone?
I’ve never specifically said I was happy with Sherwood, fwiw,
But I think he’s on a par with the best we can get/who would want to come.
The odd thing is that I’ve complained about the same things you have, albeit maybe to a lesser extent.
The difference is, it seems you don’t even want to give Sherwood a chance and have written him off before he’s hardly had a chance to start.
I’ll judge him around Xmas time, which is a decent shot, as opposed to your 5 games.
Badger…ER I named Pearson…you even commented on it…so how is that not naming anyone?
Sam Alladyce….Another not so fashionable name but proven at premier league level.
Tony Pullis…Who imo would jump at the chance to manage us and like he has done t Albion would make us a much more solid unit.
So there’s some more names to disagree with and then say I haven’t named anyone.
“I’ve judged him after 5 games”? Even more bollocks spouted from the mouth of your good self. I have stated previously that the back end of last season weren’t great, but obviously that passed you by too.
Deadwoods record since becoming our manager (LEAGUE GAMES ONLY) reads
P17 W6 D2 L9 F24 A28
You’re obviously ecstatic with that. If you’re happy that our manager only wins around 33% of his games then that’s your opinion. In that respect I’m pleased for you. 🙂 I look forward to being banned! ha ha
PLEASE NOTE….I haven’t mentioned the tacitly inept decisions he has made that contributed in a collapse at Leicester last week or a 6-1 hammering at Southampton last season.
Whilst I ‘ll hold my hands up and say the style of football is much more pleasing to watch, I’d rather watch a different style and win games than watch a team that you know is going to be to gung-ho meaning conceding is inevitable leading to losing more games than you win.
DEADWOOD OUT!
I think it’s pretty obvious Sherwood is out of his depth Badger not many of us were happy with his appointment tbf. The cracks are already showing
Er, I can only remember you moaning about his appointment?
Mind you, you moan about everything, lol.
And I don’t know anyone personally that has moaned about him much.
I wonder what you’d be saying if we’d appointed some top foreign manager and he had the same results as Sherwood has?
I’d bet you wouldn’t be slating him the way you do Sherwood.
Your dislike almost seems personal, somehow.
I actually don’t dislike Sherwood I like his upbeat personality and honesty and really want him to succeed with us. But I seriously don’t think he’s any better than Lamberk and results are proving it. Yes we play better football but the old failings we had under Lamberk are still there. The defence is still crap even though on paper we have better defenders. Apart from Gana the midfield is still a lightweight shambles. And upfront we havnt replaced Benteke who was the difference between us staying up or going down. Like Lamberk he has a blind spot playing Gabby who has far too many chances and is still crap. And worst of all despite all the changes the team is as mentally weak as ever.
Oohah, you know what, I don’t entirely disagree with you on that comment, I don’t know what it is with Villa and its set up, we’ve had managers, coaching staff, and still cannot get it right, we’ve employed people to help behind the management team and that’s failed, is Villa a club that unproven potential so call managers look for? Fans see mistakes being made so why don’t paid professional twats see it. I think on Tuesday night again us fans will be dead sick with the result, I cannot see us winning. By the way where is Giddy? I’ve rang him with no reply. Hope he’s OK.
I personally dislike Rodgers, but he was just the first person I could think of who has the EPL experience and might be available between Christmas and next summer.
We have dropped points against teams that are 6 pointers. Gestede is wank and this is a player Sherwood rated and signed because of this i am having serious doubts about Sherwood. The tactics did not work in fact we had three players playing in the same position fighting over the same space, Gil, Sinclair and Grealish. We then had two DM playing. Our full backs especially Amavi were alone without support. The tactics did not make sense
Why were we playing high balls into Gabby? I see a lot wrong and not a lot right we are losing to teams that are vital wins
I agree in full badger, they were just better than us on the day, Grealish and Gil can’t start together for me, and the former needs to stop dilly dallying and looking for the Hollywood pass that too often becomes the hospital ball, he’s young and he’ll learn though, and for balance, from the games that I have attended so far, and it’s only the home games, that was the only one where we didn’t do enough to either get the win or the point.
Ridiculous for anyone to be calling for head of TS, but he needs to start Kozac on Tuesday and he also needs to accept that Bacuna just ain’t going to turn a game around when we are trailing, if anything, Grealish should have made way for Cole at HT, with Sinclair going wide.
Just a bad day at the office, but no disaster yet.
UTV
Another bad day at the office then. How many more
oohah, the reality is that over the last 4 years we have only won circa 20 home games and under AM & PL have been dire to watch, so to be fair mate we all know more than most about how sapping it can be to watch dirge, I am only commenting on what I have seen so far this season, and so far, it’s been 100% better in general, that what has gone before and become the norm.
Sasa, don’t feed the troll 😉
I take your point Sasa C but results are dire. At the end of the day that’s what matters
I can’t fault the players today. We’ve made some great additions this summer and overall we have a far better squad than last season. It was always going to take time for them to click but when we continuously have games like today where the lions share of the squad just isn’t playing up to their standard, either everyone keeps getting sick, or the problem lies with the manager – poor tactics, instructions, substitutions, etc. I think it is foolish to think a new manager would solve anything right now but it would be nice to see Sherwood openly taking some of the blame.
Gabby is shit . Mr villa , is bullshit . I can play for Villa and stand by the defender and no one gives me the ball cus I can’t make a mistake . RUBBISH . I touched the ball more than him
Gestede is Ormondroyd in disguise
I know what you mean Morgan.
If you don’t put the ball on his head, he adds nothing.
So either we need to learn as a team or he should never start another game in a Villa shirt.
Amusingly I see the negativity is back and to a degree I’m no different although I don’t think pillorying TS is the answer.
Objectively I think we already miss Gana’s influence more than has been recognised. Today was bound to be about Berahino and we all know Villa of late have been the fall guys for this sort of story – is it just bad luck?
We are just six games into the season. Whilst I think it will be another difficult season, I’m not going to give up on TS or the team just yet.
Good point re Gana he’s a big loss for us imo