For what it’s worth, the scoreline I had in my head for this game was a 2-1 defeat, but I’m not at all happy that I got it right.
Hence it’s no surprise to me that we lost, but I didn’t think the way we approached the game was good.
You just can’t let a team like Chelsea put you under pressure for such long periods of the game and expect to withstand it. They’re just too good in attack and it was always just a matter of time before they scored.
That said, there’s no doubt that at half time the tactic was working and somehow we went in 1-0 up, but even so the writing was always on the wall.
I found myself asking what has happened to the swashbuckling footy that we played early in the season?
Are we really going to be doomed to watching us sit back and let teams attack us without really taking it to them?
Okay, this was against Chelsea, who we all know are a good side, where you might want to be very cagey against them.
But look at the fixture list.
We have Newcastle (a), Wolves (h), Liverpool (a), Man U (h), Palace (h), Everton (a), Arsenal (h) and West Ham (a).
The Wolves, Liverpool, Man U, Everton and Arsenal games are games that I would think we can pretty much write off as defeats. Are we going to sit back against them too?
Which leaves Newcastle, Palace and West Ham as maybe our only winnable games. And two of those are away.
My point is that if you consider 36 points will be required to survive, we are simply not going to get them as it is.
Hence we need to change something.
It can’t be the personnel, because I think most would agree we’re playing very close to our best eleven.
So that only leaves the tactics. Which means we need to really start attacking the opposition.
I’m sure Dean Smith would say we’re playing tactically as well as we can, given what we have and the opposition we face.
But it simply isn’t working and as it stands, I think we’re doomed.
Fair enough, going out and really taking it to sides might be doomed to failure too, but surely it’s better to have a proper go and maybe catch one of the big boys on the hop?
If we can pinch just one result against the big boys, it might make a massive difference.
The sad reality is that we just aren’t good enough, but we have nothing to lose by at least having a proper go.
The problem there is I just don’t think we have the battlers to do it. Take the odd couple of players out who I think might have the mental ability and frankly the team just looks like a load of wimps.
How many of them would cope in the Championship, where you have to battle even more, is a worrying thought.
I wonder if Dean Smith secretly sees it like that too?
As for the actual game today, well, there’s not much to say.
Our nine men behind the ball did as well as they could for as long as it lasted, but the result was always going to happen with the way we approached the game.
Which leaves me thinking that Dean Smith has bottled it too.
Badger, when you look at teams that play 4-3-3 successfully, such as Citeh and pool, they have top notch players who can beat a man or cut in and take a shot. Sterling and Salah for example aren’t typical wingers. They are part of a 3 prong attack with free licence to go where their instincts take them. El Ghazi and Trezeguet might do okay at championship level but against premier league defenders they have been found wanting. Also with pool they have quality attacking wing backs who can put in great crosses. We have Guilbert and Targett! Neither are good enough to create chances and in the last two games we had Konsa who was purely a RB. Nakamba despite his many flaws has a good engine and can be a pest as a sweeper type player and would allow the midfield to get closer to the strikers.
Trezeguet and Samatta in for Hourihane and Davis. So Grealish at CM but playing 2 wingers who can’t beat a man or cross. I’m predicting Newcastle 3 Villa 0.
Nyland (GK), Konsa, Hause, Mings, Targett, Luiz, McGinn, El Ghazi, Trezeguet
Grealish, Samatta
Substitutes:
Reina, Elmohamady, Taylor, Nakamba, Hourihane, Jota, Vassilev, Borja, Davis.
0-2 is my prediction.
I know Samatta has only had a few minutes, but he didn’t look up to speed from what I’ve seen,
I wonder what Smith’s thinking is?
You can bet Davis will come on, but I wonder if we might get to see them together?
If we’re losing, away, surely it would make sense, as I don’t think it’s worth trying to protect our goal difference now?
we need to find some goals badger we are down on the two teams we are trying to overtake. need a good positive scoreline as well as result. we have some ground to make up
much better line up. most positive one for ages. iam gonna say 1 3 villa, grealish down the middle will be much more dangerous and illusive. newcastle will struggle to contain him if he gets the ball and runs at them.
all the doom mongers will be in their element if we lose cause this is last chance saloon. we are in vegas boys and their is no sticking,its all in winner takes it all well for us we live to fight another day
newcastle are not a good team. what i have seen from them is nothing more than a defensive team who have struggled like us going forwards but have been better in defense, under ste bruce we should know that.
like i said earlier, i see this as a 50/50 but if our confidence is shot and we over commit and get caught out on the break we will lose. but i expect a good even match up with villa being the better team, unlike chelsea game where we had zero chance of dominating them with any formation or 2 up front. its whats known as a mismatch. so at least newcastle will be competitive game
Trez should have buried that then.
God, Samatta should have buried that too.
We’re doing well. Let’s hope it’s not going to be a game of poor finishing.
Brilliant tackle by Mings then. He’s having a blinder.
I rate Mings. We need goals though!
COME ON VILLA!!!!!
Crap game, but a decent first half for us. Barcodes coming back into it tthough.
my stream went down b/s spent last 15 mins trying to find a working one
http://www.realstream.space/en/player/853ce4d952a8cf67275caedbe7b2ece766433180d245145401c4a5d0236ec7b8c1c6b8abc9c2c9b789d82db7b757289259a3c42e2aadd5f0b68a2c111b53077d/5ef394c74cbcc
Luiz was booked for having an agressive attitude.
That’s a new one on me.
Mcginn unfit no plan from our midfielders, wings are useless. Newcastle looks as if it’s their game. ..
Agreed, McGinn is unfit, but getting better, imo.
Norwich are losing at home to Everton.
Anyone else bored shitless watching this?
The game looks like it’s going away from us, to me.
Wolves beating Bournemouth
Yep I am. Why do we look so sloppy in possession? Just wasted passes all the time.
Guarantee Dwight gayle will score
I fucking new it… we are so shit
Shit. Gayle scores.
I hate him.
Thats that lads. Any feint hopes are gone with not getting 3 points here. We have paid the price for not having enough attacking options from the start of the season.
And a shit defence.
I think this is the season-defining game.
Please lads no more excuses over the Villa. I’ve seen the writing on the wall months and months ago, our backroom coaches are useless nd it’s plain to see.
Doesn’t look like we could score in a month of sundays.
Just shown the goal again and Mings totally went walkabout.
Even when he’s playing a blinder, he fucks it up 🙁
Ive seen no improvement in this team this season. We have went backwards gradually as season has gone on. That is coaches fault and surely change is needed no matter how this season ends.
Actually Tekkers, I thought the defence has looked a fair bit better.
But Mings (the liability, in my mind) ruined that.
Elmo scores!