Villa 0 – 1 Wolves; Mediocre, mediocre, mediocre

I honestly struggle to think of a game that depressed me more than that one.

Our play lacks invention, it lacks incisiveness, it lacks desire and urgency, it lacks pace and it lacks quality.
We’re just a very, very poor side and it seemed to me like Wolves never even got out of second gear.

I just don’t get it.
How can we lack urgency when we’re in the position we are?
Douglas Luiz, who I thought looked very decent, apart, we just look directionless and clueless.

We played two strikers, which was needed in my opinion, but they were usually so far apart there was no way they’d link up.
Likewise, Grealish again played miles too deep, too often and it just totally frustrates me.
Then again, when he did get on the ball, he was mostly useless. I’ve not said anything before, but I’ve thought for a good while that he’s lost interest now and is frankly sick of watching the pure lack of quality around him.
I’ve never been a big believer that players have their next club in their head, but I think it’s definitely the case with him. He just looks like he’s given up.

Our setpieces were horrendous today and I’m struggling to think of a ball that didn’t go clean over the players’ heads. If Hourihane can’t get that right, he’s an utter waste of time on the pitch and he was invisible yet again.

As for Nyland, I’ve never seen a Villa goalie that scares me as much as him.
He’s fumbled the ball so many times lately and after the way he mis-threw that ball to Taylor, means he has to be dropped now. He looks devoid of any confidence and Smith needs to take him out of the firing line.

It’s the lack of direction that worries me most though and I just don’t see what we’re trying to achieve on the pitch.
When we do attack, we inevitably slow it down and Grealish was the most guilty of this, which means that the opposition have time to reorganise and the chance is lost. Loads of times, I heard myself saying “too late”.
It’s like the team have no belief and it’s this which will see us go down.

The result is bad enough in itself, but it’s the performance which has got me down more.
There’s the age old saying that the table doesn’t lie and I think that’s exactly the case.

We are where we are, because we’re frankly just awful.
And boring with it.

101 Comments

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  1. Holte66
    Holte66 July 1, 2020 at 10:04 pm . Reply

    3-2 to West Ham, we’re f**ked!

    1. Steve
      Steve July 2, 2020 at 6:20 pm . Reply

      At the start of the season my heart was optimistic but my head was worried. Recruitment had left us with no real prem experiece except Heaton and VERY Light up top and a manager having his first season in the prem. To survive we would rely on our best players heaton mings mcginn and grealish 3 of which have had lengthy injuries along with our centre forward.
      In my opinion with all of the above i think we would have needed a miracle to stay up. Smith i think will get better whether with us or someone else but i do believe if he had his way malpay and benrahmi would have been in villa shirts.

      1. Hitchens60
        Hitchens60 July 2, 2020 at 8:31 pm . Reply

        I agree with you Steve and, after much heart searching, I believe we should stick with Smith.

        Another ‘named’ manager comes in and we spend another ridiculous amount in the transfer market and all it does is raise the risk of the club going bust!

  2. beamo
    beamo July 1, 2020 at 10:14 pm . Reply

    Indeed but even if West Ham had lost we’d still be in big trouble. That game was the perfect example of why we are going down – yet again another of the relegation battling sides getting a win against the traditional top 6. Yet how many have we managed – a big fat zero.
    Even with a questionable VAR decision and falling behind they had the mentality to come back and Moyes like him or not made effective changes from the bench. If that was Villa Smith would have stuck with what he had, we’d have tired and gone on to lose via a defensive howler. We’re showing nowhere near enough fight and have a manager whose tactical ability has been found wanting at this level. Truth be told we deserve the championship football that is coming our way.

  3. Bum Bum
    Bum Bum July 2, 2020 at 12:23 am . Reply

    Shit. We’re down.

  4. Bum Bum
    Bum Bum July 2, 2020 at 8:37 am . Reply

    I’d have bet on a Chelsea drubbing last night as they’re still securing a CL spot. Bloody hell. Obviously Moyes is capable of putting the fear of God into his players, where Smith struggles.
    Oh for Ancellotti… We need a half decent big name as manager and none of the ‘Young and hungry’ types.

  5. Bum Bum
    Bum Bum July 2, 2020 at 9:08 am . Reply

    And thirdly… Sad about Wigan, but what the hell was Dave Wheelan thinking when he gave the club to his 19 year old grandson?

    1. Hitchens60
      Hitchens60 July 3, 2020 at 2:41 pm . Reply

      Bum Bum – Wheelan actually sold the club to a Hong Kong listed business whose majority owner iis a professional gambler. I think the deal included his grandson remaining as Chairman. That business sold Wigan on four weeks ago to another Hong Kong business (Next Leader Fund) having the same majority owner. Since that sale the majority owner of NLF has been replaced by a (named) Chinese business man – following which NLF have refused to invest any more funds in Wigan – does this sound chillingly familiar?

      Rumours abound including that Wigan was sold to settle a gambling debt!

      What does this say about the EFL’s ‘proper and suitable owner test’?

      Football hierarchy needs to take a very long look at itself – fat chance!

      In the meantime my heart goes out to all true Wigan fans.

      1. Hitchens60
        Hitchens60 July 3, 2020 at 2:42 pm . Reply

        And how can a club be put into administration just four weeks after being acquired by a new investor – absolutely stinks!

  6. Holte66
    Holte66 July 2, 2020 at 9:34 am . Reply

    I was hoping Smith was going to be our long term future but he has failed this season and can’t have any complaints if he is gone at the end of the season.
    I think we need to get a Benitez type manager for next season. Someone who has experience of championship and premier league.
    Our failure in the transfer market (again) is ultimately what cost us this season. Too many players with potential but no experience of a big league (Heaton apart)
    The speculation surrounding Grealish for most of the season also has been a detrimental problem and his form just like his head has gone! I would like to see him dropped against Liverpool. Our play is too predictable with him in the team and the opposition at this level find us an easy touch to nullify.
    Considering our position, I’m amazed that someone hasn’t been given the boot yet. Suso should have been first to go, closely followed by JT our defensive coach in charge of worst defence.
    This makes me wonder then whether we should be criticising Purslow for taking no action when we all could see things unfolding. And if Purslow is failing, shouldn’t we point the finger at our owners for letting their investment go into free fall?

    1. Steve
      Steve July 3, 2020 at 7:07 am . Reply

      Bruce in his first season at newcastle is going to out perform what benitez did and i wouldn’t want bruce back. The fact is the majority of our signings (young and hungry) just aren’t good enough for the prem yet.

  7. Bill Pearson..
    Bill Pearson.. July 2, 2020 at 12:13 pm . Reply

    So, we will never know because he was never sacked.!! If he had been sacked we might have survived the drop. We will never KNOW.. you all seen my post asking for him to go and excuse was its too late it’s never late if you don’t do it. We will never know… I’ve had enough..

  8. DSVilla
    DSVilla July 2, 2020 at 7:01 pm . Reply

    I haven’t watched the match but apart from a crap VAR review for a Spurs “goal”, Sheff Utd scored with 7 players the Spurs box. The only time we get 7 players in the box is defending. No ambition and that will ensure we drop. We deserve it too

  9. nath
    nath July 3, 2020 at 6:54 am . Reply

    told you pool would be champions when we play them. also they will not be committed once they are crowned, last night they did try, but they were not anything close too 100% they pulled out of the 50/50 challenges. city had a weakened team but they were too strong for pool. against villa klopp will try to freshen things up. he has champions league starting soon and that will be his only objective left to focus on. so he will change pool team for the villa game. we need to play it like earlier in the cup. whichever team they field,we need to go for their throats. make it very combative but legal. they dont want to pick up injuries now. only one problem we are not that sort of team. but we need to grow some now. that is one way and probably only one way to achieve the win.

    i said we would survive just at the start, lately i do think after the restart we look like a team doomed. but other teams are also looking doomed watford and bouremouth both look half the teams they were. we just need to play like it matters and we are capable of winning a few games everton and palace are two. but pool i believe are there for the taking. just need to play with more aggression but within the rules.

    1. badger123
      badger123 July 3, 2020 at 9:26 pm . Reply

      Nath, I agree, we should take it to them. Strongly.
      But we’re a bunch of fannies mate.

      Who’s going to dish it out?

      It’s exactly what we’re missing, imo.
      The likes of Hutton, Whelan etc.
      No, they won’t win you games normally, but when you need to get tough, you need tough players and we don’t have any.

      Even Mings is a pansy and just too nice.

      It’s probably our biggest failing as a side.
      Not a pair of bollocks between the lot of them.
      Hence no fight.

      1. Hitchens60
        Hitchens60 July 4, 2020 at 6:38 am . Reply

        Badger, I was one for giving Whelan another year. His know how and tenacity in mid field would have been invaluable. Now look who they got in January Drinkwater!

        Need I say more – someone’s head has to roll. Purslow isn’t going so my vote is for Suso over Smith!

  10. nath
    nath July 4, 2020 at 7:11 am . Reply

    every team has its DNA, all season we have been weak. 50 /50 challenges have mostly been lost. you watch watford and they get about teams. disrupt them and this is mostly within the rules. they get lots of ball through this and lots of space.

    for us to get something at pool. we will have to employ a bit of steel. i can not see us going there and outplaying them for 90 minutes. but i can how a team will discourage a pool side with a few strong tackles and in your face attitude. they are a brilliant team and will cut us to pieces. if we allow them and i think how we played most of season we are more likely to turn up and try to out play them than to rough them up and knock um out of stride.

    we should play like last game, i know we were poor on the offensive but our shape we better, we were tight at the back. and made wolves fight all the game. wolves are also a good side who pushed pool in both games. we have to find more up top but without stretching ourselves at the back. balance is the hardest to fine tune. takes time and we havent got that

    1. Hitchens60
      Hitchens60 July 4, 2020 at 7:33 am . Reply

      We need a lucky freak result like Liverpool continuing with a Champions ‘hangover’ – that’s the only way we’ll get anything Nath.

      1. nath
        nath July 4, 2020 at 7:43 am . Reply

        it could happen, less likely after man city gave them a drubbing. lightening striking same place is unlikely innit 🙁 we need to force the pool to be disinterested. its the only way about of physically will do the trick. like badger said we just have not got that in our game. we are pussies lol most likely to be the ones who will be trampled on rather than doing the trampling. i would take a point now , even thou i pray for three

  11. Third Generation Villian
    Third Generation Villian July 4, 2020 at 9:17 am . Reply

    Deluded

    Thats all i can say, and i say this with no animosity

    but to say we can get something off pool and utd

    to say we should keep smith?

    from the start of the season we have got worse week on week throughout the season, How many times has it been said smith has no plan B we go behind and you can see he does not know what to do. when does he ever make inspired substitutions. every other team in the division knows this now and uses it to their advantage. As for JT a top defensive coach, does anyone really believe he has improved the defence over the course of the season.does the coaching staff do anything in training, because its not showing on the pitch.

    and it was January when we last won a premier league game, nearly 6 months

    I know we dont want change every season because it has not worked in the past, but that is because we as a club keep employing the wrong people, from managers to coaches to sporting directors etc etc

    its time for a top manager

    with the backing in the transfer market

    for the long term

    no more up and coming or hungry managers, no more good at getting promoted managers but never looked ever like winning a trophy, no more foreign coaches with no experience at the top level.

    Rant over, sorry i feel like Bill totally fed up.

    1. Hitchens60
      Hitchens60 July 4, 2020 at 8:56 pm . Reply

      No offence taken but I don’t believe I’m deluded. OK my views and yours are different but that’s all it is.

      I think we’ve all forgotten that until we lost Heaton, Wesley and McGinn to long term injuries we were doing OK.

      Losing three key players (whatever you think about Wesley) at the same time would screw most teams let alone one just promoted.

      And yes Badger, I know there’s a new thread up.

  12. Bill Pearson..
    Bill Pearson.. July 4, 2020 at 10:30 am . Reply

    Thanks third Generation , I’ve been spitting blood over the tactics coming out of Villa Park your spot on. Everyone that works there think they are safe and don’t give a shite, it’s time for our club to know the difference of willing and giving up, Badgers right but too late we have fannies playing and not men, a massive clear out when the season ends. We have to employ people that don’t like to lose, because we’re Aston Villa full Stop.

  13. Holte66
    Holte66 July 4, 2020 at 10:57 am . Reply

    I’ve said it before and it’s a fact, we are paying the price for poor recruitment at every level. Smith might have had a chance if he had premier league savvy coaches working with him. He might have had a chance with premier league savvy players amongst the squad. Failure at every level and yet no heads have rolled. Despite £130m being spent on what? Players that probably wouldn’t get in Leeds or Albion’s team.
    Instead, when the season’s over, we will be forced to say goodbye to Grealish, McGinn, Mings and possibly Luiz for what….£130m approximately?
    We are a laughing stock and provide constant ammunition to our rival fans for ridicule.
    I dread to think what the score will be tomorrow. Chelsea scored eight against us several years ago. Liverpool will be smarting after Citeh beat them so will want to bounce back. If they score early it could be anything. Man Ure after that will also be damage limitation.
    Once the season is over we need to start all over again and quickly. I am resigned to relegation now. I don’t know how FFP and parachute payment etc will affect our rebuild but we need to get it right at the top. I hear some in favour of keeping Smith because he got us promoted last season. However we finished 5th which is Smith’s highest finish. Do we trust him to get us automatically promoted? Brentford, the team he left behind are currently 3rd. Would they be there with Smith still in charge? Surely our owners need to get rid of Suso. If we had consistently failed at our jobs for such a prolonged period we would have been dismissed.
    Football is a cut throat business and unfortunately loyalty and keeping faith is proving our downfall.

  14. nath
    nath July 4, 2020 at 1:20 pm . Reply

    love the passions being expressed about villa, but nobody in their right head had villa to survive this season. i know i said we would scrape it. but i am always led by my heart. i really didn’t believe that, well not to stake my life on.

    thing is we were a brand new team this season. we had least amount of time to sign players of the teams being promoted down to playoffs. most contracts had been verbally agreed by the time we won promotion. our club had to draw up two plans for the coming season, when every other premiership club had weeks on us to start theirs. when you consider we are in direct competition with them it makes a difference.

    players we eventually signed most were not premiership quality, but that is not to say they were not a improvement on the players we released. cause they are better quality. just the fact remains that they all struggled collectively to bridge the gap.

    the way forwards is to break the trend, stop changing every season. build onto not restart from beginning. we put so many flimsy foundations down every season, we will never amount to anything like this. we will probably be forced to rebuild again next season, but not from scratch i hope. plus far easier to do this at a lower level.

    this season individual errors cost us many points without making so many we would be mid table. somebody said we wont beat man utd. well away we had matched them. until i think mings mistake gave away cheap corner and they scored from it. anyways error happened cause they are not used to the demands of premiership. lower levels you get away with stuff, when you are in premiership your game has to be pitch perfect all 96 mins

    we have all the time in the world to moan. why doesnt somebody go through each game and count how many times mistakes cost us and bad decisions too. i am just saying this, its not a excuse all teams have the same problems. but i reckon we dropped easy 15 points through our own faults and easy another 5 points down to bad referee and var b/s. smith was alway up against it this season but individuals might have cost him us surviving.

  15. Roy Bracy
    Roy Bracy July 4, 2020 at 2:30 pm . Reply

    Well put Nath I agree we have lost points throughout with errors and var if we only had an extra 5points it would make a big difference. Confidence would be higher to start with then they would believe in themselves more confidence breeds confidence. But agree Terry has been waste of time and suso. At least we may blood some of the youngsters in the championship as that’s what’s needed.

  16. Bill Pearson..
    Bill Pearson.. July 4, 2020 at 3:16 pm . Reply

    Bournemouth 1 up

  17. Bill Pearson..
    Bill Pearson.. July 4, 2020 at 3:49 pm . Reply

    3 -1 half time to Man Utd. ..

  18. Bill Pearson..
    Bill Pearson.. July 4, 2020 at 4:09 pm . Reply

    3-2 Man ..

  19. Bill Pearson..
    Bill Pearson.. July 4, 2020 at 4:18 pm . Reply

    4-2 Man. Why they wanted Grealish God knows, that Greenwood youngster is a player and half.

  20. Bill Pearson..
    Bill Pearson.. July 4, 2020 at 4:20 pm . Reply

    5 now . Nice to see goals.

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