I’ve had to have a bit of a break away from the computer so I could compose my thoughts, as I’m frankly fuming.
We had loads of the play and created lots of chances, but still lost it quite straightforwardly.
I keep seeing it written that our defence is good, but I’m sorry, I just don’t see it in the slightest.
It’s not like they were called into action that much, but when they were, did they ever convince you?
They certainly didn’t me and more than once it was a good thing Martinez was alert and came off his line early.
I can’t pick one defender out in particular, but we just seem majorly lacking as a unit.
Pushing up as high as we did doesn’t help matters, but it’s almost like we totally forget that defending is part of the game.
Brighton hadn’t shown any hint of a threat before they scored and that says everything to me.
There was quite a lot that went on in the game, with Lamptey, who looked quite useful, getting sent off and Maupay, who probably winds players up as well as anyone I’ve seen for years not getting sent off, to Targett petulantly fouling and also lucky to not not go off. It was a bit of a shame really, as I didn’t feel it was a nasty game.
But the big one has to be the Penalty that wasn’t. Or was, depending on how you saw it.
I’ll tell you now, I saw it live and thought it wasn’t a penalty.
In fact, in a game where Trez looked like he couldn’t hit a cow’s backside with a banjo, I was going to give him move of the game if we’d have been given it.
I saw it replayed about ten times. And it still isn’t a penalty for me.
That’s going to be contentious to say the least, but it’s how I saw it.
Yes, there was contact. No doubt about it.
But I can’t get away from the fact that I thought Trez set himself up for it.
Watch his foot and he’s planted the front of it, to pull himself forward after he’d already lost control of the ball.
And it’s that last bit that does it for me.
I know. They get given all the time. But I think when they do, they’re 100% wrong.
I don’t see how you can be fouled when you’ve lost control of the ball.
If there’s intent, fair enough, that’s a penalty. But otherwise, if you haven’t deprived the player of a chance, no way.
I know the argument is that there was contact.
But I’d just say look at that as a Brighton fan and how would you have felt?
Again, I can see the argument being “I know what you mean, but there was contact and that’s enough”.
To which I’d say it’s a contact sport, simple.
Or is it?
Regardless, I very much suspect I’ll be in the minority, mostly because that’s just how it’s been for years. It still doesn’t make it right for me, even if we know the usual suspects will always get that type of call.
Anyway, it’s not that big a deal to me really.
Brighton did enough to win and our defence didn’t do enough when required.
I can pick flies with individual performances, but there was no-one particularly bad and many things can maybe be excused by tiredness.
Ultimately though, Brighton took their chances and we didn’t.
And that says it all.
I’m still fuming though.
I know we don’t have a right to beat anyone.
But when you beat Liverpool, Arsenal and Leicester, these results just look so, so stupid.
Oh well.
West Ham away next, where we’ll hopefully do better.
Comments
63 responses to “Villa 1- 2 Brighton; Who are you going to blame?”
God I hate the BBC. Is this really worth the headline all because of 13 idiots? Dragging our good name through the mud?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55038972
Qui ker they abolish the licence fee the better.
Typical BBC – just click bait.
A headline of ‘only 359 reported hate incidents out of the hundreds of thousands attending football matches’ probably wouldn’t cut it with the editors.
I’d like to think it is a factor of Villa having the largest travelling support, or that we ‘shop’ our own idiots more than the others.
However there is another factor: people from the West Midlands speak more distinctly and slowly than people from many other regions. So Cockneys Scousers, Tykes and Geordies get away with more because others cannot understand them.
I have to say I have never heard abuse about sexual orientation, unless ‘the referee’s a w*****’ now qualifies?
Maradona dead. Must admit I have rather wet eyes.
The finest player ever. His biography is one of the finest books I’ve ever read.
Gutted.
Finest ever?
I’d say Pele was better, but it’s all about opinions.
Another reason I think Pele edges it is because of the sort of people they were/are.
Pele, who encourages impotence being talked about?
Or Maradona, who cheated and refused to admit it years later, cocaine addict, shot at the press and was apparently having major alcohol problems in the last few months?
No doubt he was a great player though and definitely in my top 3 ever.
It’s almost impossible to compare players but for me it would be Messi as No. 1, Pele 2nd and Maradonna 3rd. Sad news though because 60 is too young. RIP.
Seeing as we are without Barkley for a couple of games at least, why not switch to a 4-4-2 formation with McGinn and Luiz in the middle, Grealish on the left and Trezeguet on the right, with Davis and Watkins up front. We need to be able to switch our tactics going forward because we have been found out at home especially. Davis as we all know isn’t prolific but he can create and hold up the ball well for our other attacking players. Whatever formation we adopt we lack pace except for Watkins. If we keep the same formation as we till now we will have same headache of picking either Hourihane or Traore. Both of whom are lacking defensively. Any thoughts?
Do we really have fixed formations these days?
It doesn’t seem like it to me.
We’re supposed to play 4-3-3, but we never do, imo. The supposed wingers or wide strikers never play forward enough for it to be called that and it’s much more like 4-5-1.
Players move around too which makes things more fluid.
I don’t think Smith likes a 2, simple as.
There were a few times recently the ball has come in and there’s been noone there. A second striker would definitely help, but if it’s Davis, could we trust him to put it in the net?
I’d rather wait for Wesley to get fit, as much as I don’t like him.
Better still, put Trez in as the second striker. I know he’s been useless at shooting lately, but if he keeps getting chances he WILL come good.
He’s great at getting to the far stick and is just way more instinctive with his positioning than anybody else, Watkins apart, imo.
In other news, the Mail were at Bodymoor to watch a training session (or at least have been given a video).
The interesting part of that is that Lansbury was nowhere to be seen.
Purely a day off for personal reasons?
Injured and we just haven’t been told?
Or thrown a strop and been banned?
You’d have thought the Mail would have asked the question, wouldn’t you?
I wonder if he’s one we’ll be paying off in the transfer window?
I can’t see anyone wanting him at anywhere near the supposed £40k a week he’s on.
God, we’ve wasted some money over the years 🙁
A cheeky edit;
I forgot, Traore is supposed to be able to play striker, isn’t he?
A bit of good news.
Ross Barkley’s hammy isn’t as bad as it was first thought.
Whereas it was widely reported he was expected to miss two games, he’s now expected to miss three (!)
WTF?
You have to laugh, I suppose.
brighton benefit again with a penalty decision. i still think villa should have got that pen last week. now they get a pen in a not too dissimilar to ours. but they got the decision we never,
i thought brighton did wel against pool. was unlucky not to be in lead first half, got lucky at end with pen decision, but i like how they play, we could learn a thing or two on playing out from the back from brighton, they are all comfortable on the ball and they are great at playing out under pressure.
guys you should watch klopps interview omg he was really on one. very upset about the 12.30 ko 5 subs being asked about the dodgy decisions and milner injury lol its a great laugh i mean great watch
Ah, shut up Klopp.
I don’t have a problem with 5 subs as such, although it does of course give the bigger clubs with bigger squads a major advantage.
But don’t spring it on clubs halfway through the season.
It would be bad enough if clubs were to get plenty of notice.
As for games at stupid times, well yes, I’m more sympathetic there, but just keep thinking that there’s another 80 odd top level clubs that would love that problem.
Have you watched the new Spitting Images, Nath?
Their interpretation of Klippety is well funny 🙂
yeah i love the new spitting image and i can remember the old one too. totally agree funny and trump and jonston.
also badger klopp complained about the time 12.30 he says his team have been given that slot more than others. havent we had our fair share of that silly early slot ?? i hate the 6 ish one too
At least he had a Saturday game!
I looked at our fixtures recently and hardly any of our games have been or will be on Saturday.
His fans didn’t have to pay a tenner for four games on the trot either.
It’s a joke.
exactly badger he never mentioned that ppv wasnt we on that bulshit three games in a row
i agree with you 5 subs maybe but you cant spring that on clubs halfway through a season. clubs have squads they can not increase them now until january. so if we do increase subs we need to do after jan or next season.
is there anything else we can do for pool and klopp.
Or even £15
burnley look to be in real trouble this season. they are not the same team that used to be hard to play against. city played constantly through them first half and they are not out of first gear. i worry of them this season
city won comfortably 5 nil should have been greater. but looking at table we are still above city and double goal difference in our favour lol we are a different beast this season. last game was hard cause our players had been away on international duty most had 3 games and we only had 1 day to prepare. yes all clubs had this problem but we are a small squad and losing barkley was tough to take. another factor was brighton were tough and if you watch their game today with pool. you can see they are a match for anybody. great at the back playing out they draw you in and hit you committing men to the press. they did the same to pool albeit not with same finishes.
bring on the hammers and that will be a tough game but iam confident we will be better without the ball this time.grealish moves inside and trez and traore wide. trez had another good game last week but still gets bad responses from our fans. yes he missed the chances but he offers loads, he is getting better and better
I’m totally against 5 subs. To be honest, I don’t think having one substitute helps Villa.
Just watching Leeds beating Everton and as much as I hate to say it, they are a better team than us.
leeds are a good team holte, before the game with them i knew this. but i fancied us that night. i also knew the right tactic to beat them, but if i were manager i would have done the same thing as smith. but i knew their achilles heel is a team that doesnt go toe to toe as we tried. sit deeper and invite them to attack. but you leave three pacey forwards to attack on the quick counters around the halfway line. its a formula which leeds struggle with. leciester and palace both won really easy against them.
the moral of this is they are great if you play them at their game. but show them a game were you don’t allow them to get behind you or no space to counter in. but every time you turn the ball over you are going long into a empty half with three pacey counter attackers. this fooks um up they start stretching the team. leaving four defenders back and this affects their play with the ball.
i watched leeds yesterday they play same way every week, like sheff utd last season most clubs do not approach the game with them in the correct way. clubs are thinking they cant keep this up and they try to match them and hope they run out of stream. i did the same thing for villa game. they support each other really well. say they are attacking down the left they have like 5 players there to create the overlap. but they quickly return to their shape. they are attacking with 10 and defending with the same number. in every game i seen them out played everyone, except the teams that do not engage their tactics, teams that denied them the space to counter or space in behind um and the teams that got brave and left three on halfway line, ready to hurt leeds on the counter.
With Covid problems at Newcastle could we fall even further behind with our fixtures. Are there really matchdays anymore?