I’m a bit perplexed.
Having read most of the other Villa sites, it seems like many of us fans are very pleased after yesterday’s game.
I understand that, of course; it’s all about the points.
So while I’m equally pleased about the actual victory, the nature of it leaves me rather worried.
Many have praised the workrate and effort, especially after the abject performance against Southampton and I can understand that too.
But for me, busting a gut is an absolute minimum requirement.
That’s not to say it’s not good to see though. Grealish, Hause, Konsa, Trezeguet and even Wesley worked hard.
But it’s the actual quality that I found wanting.
Wesley is a good example. He ran his socks off and was shattered before the end, but he still looks nowhere nearer to scoring goals, which let’s not forget, is what he was bought for. I did see a decent player in there somewhere, but I’ll be surprised if we see it this season.
There are plus points, in that Hause and Konsa did well at the back. Heaton kept us in the game at least twice.
And Grealish was head and shoulders the best player on the pitch, looking to go forward and dragging the rest of the team with him (again). He’s in great form and now has all the requirements in workrate, leadership, hard graft and sheer quality.
An England call up surely can’t be far off.
But overall, we were easily second best at home, to the team that is now bottom of the league. And that concerns me.
Yes, we had our chances, but I think Norwich’s were probably better overall and if they’d have taken them, they’d have beaten us convincingly.
It’s obvious we need reinforcements and they need to have Premier league experience too, in my opinon, as a relegation struggle isn’t a good environment for newbies, regardless of where they come from.
which makes things a) expensive and b) tricky.
We’ve apparently got money to spend and we’re going to need it, as a striker, a central midfielder and ideally competition for Targett are probably only a starting point. Will we go down the road of loan players, as much as Purslow said we wouldn’t?
It makes sense to me, if Dean Smith has faith in his players to come good down the line.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens in the transfer window, as it currently seems we need players all over the pich.
We need to get players in quickly too.
No doubt I’m coming across as moaning again and I suppose I am.
It’s just that I don’t want us to go down.
Trying to stay positive, all that matters is that we got the goal and Norwich didn’t, as much as they outplayed us.
But I’m looking for three teams that are worse than us and at the moment, I don’t see them.
Let’s hope it gets better.
Worried. Very worried.
Agree with you entirely plus, even before new blood they need to give someone a run out in place of Wesley – a shame but he just isn’t cutting it. Kodija is the obvious at least for a couple of games before the boost from his hat-trick wears off.
I dunno, it was a terrible game to watch but I didn’t feel we were outplayed at all. Apart from the one off the line I never felt Norwich would score whereas I felt we would if we could just create the chance…and we did. The Wolves match was the one that worried me this season. Overall I think there are about 7 or 8 sides including us who could go down. I think we are on a par with most and better than some. Injuries will kill us however and we do need reinforced. Centre halves on Saturday were outstanding which is reassuring with Mings and Engels around as well.
That’s a good point about the defenders and why I didn’t mention that we need reinforcing there. I think we’re reasonably ok in that department.
Although I do worry about us at the moment, I do accept that things soon change in the Prem, so Ihope your assertion of 7 or 8 clubs being in it is right.
It’s a conundrum – we play well yet lose (when we probably shouldn’t) and we applaud the team for competing yet we find fault with winning when we play poorly.
Give me more of the latter and less of the former will follow.
UTV
Losing when we shouldn’t that is!
We do need more scrappy 1-0 victories although the one against Norwich was as much luck than resilience. Most teams would have finished us off before Hourihane scored. My biggest gripe is the lack of threat from our wide men. Our play is pedestrian for the most part and the only craft comes from Grealish. Wesley, although admittedly doesn’t get great service, seems unsure of himself when in oppositions penalty area. It seems like El Ghazi gets on the end of most chances and fluffs them too. Tomorrow away to Watford I’m concerned we will be outfought, as Pearson has already injected a mental toughness there. We are lacking leaders and need to get experienced premier league players in January. In the summer we lost Whelan, Jedinak and Hutton who would have had a big presence around the team even if they weren’t playing. January could make or break our season.
Just the one improvement at #9 is all that we need. I doubt it is Wesley’s fault, it was the scouting that was wrong. Wesley may have the physique of a typical English target man – but he did not play like one before he came to Villa. Somebody thought ‘we can turn him into a Duncan Ferguson, even though he plays like Michael Owen.’ It has not worked and it is not likely to. Since we do not have a midfield who can retain possession in midfield, even if they do nothing dangerous with the ball, the team needs an out further forward. That being a #9 who can win and shield the ball while colleagues run into position. If we sacrifice one winger Wesley could play as one of two up front, with such a target man.
Er. like Kodjia maybe?
Ok, he isn’t a target man, but he can hold the ball, as clumsy as he can seem.
I often get the feeling that Wesley has been hung out to dry in the current setup, but he has to find his own way and start achieving, if he’s ever going to suceed.
I’m not convinced that we only need a new no 9 either.
We were doing perfectly well without one early on, with goals coming from all over, after all.
But we’ve been worked out and it’s the system that isn’t right.
That, plus some of the players are not up to the rigours of the Prem, imo.
I hope Adama Traore and Jordan Amavi haunt the dreams of the incompetent bozos (polite) who bought then sold them, not to mention the inept ‘coaches’ who couldn’t, erm, coach them. The mistakes of our club’s past hierarchies are painfully apparent and will be for years to come.
Smith and co have to find a way to make this group of players angry. Fire in bellies is what’s required now. Every game needs to be pitched as a war. Siege mentality. You will beat us over our dead bodies. That kind of thing. Just play them highlights of Traore and explain that he should be in our team. That should piss them right off. It works for me, anyway.
UT(bloody)V
…I meant Jordan Ayew but what does a surname and a completely different human matter? A cockup’s a cockup, right?