Aston Villa News and Views
Aston Villa News and Views News Villa 3-2 Everton; Did we look like losing this?

Villa 3-2 Everton; Did we look like losing this?

14 September 202414 September 2024| Badger123Badger123| 207 Comments| 8:14 PM
Categories:

First off, let me say what a fantastic advert for the Premier League that was. It’s no wonder it’s the most watched league by far, as nowhere else can you see a game ebbing and flowing the way it did today, especially when you consider it was nearly top of the league against the bottom. Would you get that in La Ligue? Doubtful, at least the vast majority of the time. Consider Forest beat Liverpool on their own patch today too.

It just had everything, in Everton taking an undeserved, but typical Aston Villa type game lead. They even went on to lead 2-0 too, even though we’d spanked them for the first 20 minutes, with some good pressing and some lovely, rapid one touch play. Was anyone surprised when that happened? I wasn’t and not being young, I very much suspect I wasn’t alone.

Which brings me to my big concern. I don’t want to put a dampener on things, but today’s approach was a case of “we’re gonna score one more than you”. And while that can be great to watch, it’s almost always unsuccessful. Maybe Unai thought we could go that way today and fortunately, if so, he called it right.

But I doubt that was the case and he’ll surely have been as disappointed as I was at the way we were breached so easily. Was there one strong Everton attack that we managed to resist? If so I don’t remember it or at least it didn’t impress me much.

We look weak at the back and quite simply, Champions league teams will rip us to pieces; certainly the better ones, if that’s all our defence can muster.

Still, today, I prefer to think that Unai was more interested in attacking Everton and ultimately, it worked.

Ollie looks miles off it to me, but proved me totally wrong in getting two goals. He missed another he should have buried, but given the result, I can live with it. No doubt if we’d lost I’d have been complaining like mad, but that’s what it’s about isn’t it? He said himself he’s not 100%, so again we can’t complain.

So why not play Duran from the off and give Ollie a rest? The youngster thinks he’s better than Ollie and certainly looks the better out and out striker. But his time will come and it isn’t just yet, in my opinion. Keep doing what you’re doing Jhon and you’ll be playing when you look more likely than Ollie.

The world really is his oyster at the moment and he’s so young too.

So who played well and who didn’t?

Rogers looks so threatening and is very much like Ramsey, in exactly the driving type of midfielder I like to see. To have two of these types is great and we saw exactly why today. Rogers played well and Ramsey not so well. We always have that big attacking threat is the point.

Tielemens pulled loads of strings and was a close second for me. He’s really starting to look like the player we thought he was and made things tick.

Watkins also has to be up there, although I’m not so prone to praising strikers for doing there basic requirement, but when you consider how far off it he looks, he did well. I do find it concerning that he doesn’t look happy in his play of late, but I’m inclined to think he might be mentally jaded more than anything.

And of course, Duran “the petulant” also did well. Along with the longest distance goal this season, he also hit it with such a curl, it’ll be remembered by many this season. He also did a nice chest down and high level scissor kick that would probably have surpassed his first if it had gone in. “Dangerous” is definitely the word, where he’s concerned and while I still think Ollie is by some way the better player, he now doesn’t look quite the liability he did a while back and I’d be perfectly happy for him to come on against any team. Including the likes of Bayern, which is some praise coming from me, seeing as I wanted him gone just weeks ago, because I thought his attitude was irretrievable. No doubt Unai’s word in his ear has worked. I’m happy to say that’s great, if so.

I’m not going to say too much about who didn’t play well, especially when they were mostly young lads, but John McGinn will be able to take it. I thought he also looks off it. Being played out wide definitely takes from his game, but no doubt he’s just doing as he’s told and playing for the team.

I still think we need another RB, but it is what is.

So a great win, although I’d have been going nuts if we’d lost.

Does that make me fickle or is it just an indicator of those fine dividing lines that the Prem is all about?

UTV!

207 thought on “Villa 3-2 Everton; Did we look like losing this?”

  1. Terrible Bayern penalty decision. Defender kicked the ball away for a corner and the Bayern player then ran into him!!!
    CL reffing is on another planet…

  2. 🎶We are top of the league! I say we are top of the league🎶
    Should have been 5-0 but stupid VAR again.

    1. Funny innit!!!!!! Can u wait for the Bayern game? Must admit I like this new free for all CL schedule.
      Guaranteed. It the ‘regular faces’ aren’t in the semi and quarter finals, UEFA will roll back on this set up…

  3. Rip Gary was a young lad watching him play got the No8 off Brian Little and stepped right into his shoes brilliant player and by what I’ve heard a lovely guy as well such a sad loss
    We did him proud with an incredible performance tonight wow six years ago we were playing Sheffield Wed near the bottom of the championship amazing turnaround

  4. What a performance last night!!! Tielemans MOTM for me, got me thinking he’s actually up there as a candidate for our best player overall, he has it all…

    First disallowed goal shouldn’t have been disallowed, second one was blatant despite how far back it was. My real question is how the first one never required the referee to look at the screen, but the second one did, it’s almost as if they do not want the referee to look at the more difficult decisions to protect them in case they get it wrong?

    Doesn’t take away from an amazing win though, UTV!

  5. https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11677/13211862/champions-league-2024-25-new-format-teams-fixtures-results-and-table-for-league-phase

    A good summary of what is required to progress: 5 wins and a draw for a top 8 place and automatic qualification. 3 wins and a draw to earn a play off place. Ideally in other top rated teams matches, it’s good for us to see them drop points by drawing, so the points tally threshold is lowered. A bit like Liverpool or Arsenal dropping points in the EPL…
    If we do get top 8, win our next challenge and we’re in the quarter finals. From there it’s anyone’s game! (Until the Cup is handed to Real Madrid again, obviously).

    1. One step at a time, Bum Bum. It’s likely we’ll be spanked by Bayern with our ropey defence and and biased officials. We have to beat Celtic, Brugge and Monaco and then battle for 2-3 draws against the rest. Doable, certainly, but never a foregone conclusion.

      1. Great band. ‘Forgone Conclusion’.

        Footy is a weird game. Anything could happen, but even with my claret and blue tinted spectacles on, it really would not surprise me if we won the bloody thing with Emery at the helm. Look at Porto. Equally, it wouldn’t surprise me if Celtic beat us at home and knocked us out.
        All I was really saying, is that it’s a hop, skip and a jump to the final…and lifting Ol Big Ears.

        Anyone got thoughts on the Wolves game? Our nemesis seems to have left the Black Country for Saudi…

    1. Much worse still. What’s to stop the big boys colluding at the latter stages of the league. For example, if you draw with them, we both go through…err, how much?

      And that’s just the clubs. Imagine the possibilities for foreign agents tampering with this already faulty product. After reading that article last week on match rigging and how easy and blatant it is, I’ve since resigned myself that it’s there, whether we like it or not. Makes the whole thing effin pointless, does it not?

  8. Anyone else think today has the potential to go horribly wrong, but a thrashing if we get it right.

  11. Carols has become a liability. Sent off preseason, crap pass out from Young Boys nearly conceded and today his shocking pass out meant we went 0-1 down.

    1. Yep. And after reading ‘that” article, I have my suspicions that he may well be compromised in some way.

  12. Only one side in this at the moment and it’s not Villa!

    Why do we always struggle against Wolves?

  13. The way I see this game now is Wolves are here to beat us and we are here to play football, we are so tuned in to playing pass the ball it’s time to get tough.

          1. No, he’s shite.
            Ball don’t stick, passing woeful shouldn’t be anywhere near the first team.
            Form temporary, class permanent.

  14. I cannot see us beating Wolves with the setup on at the minute, he has to change this way , Watkins not in the game get Bailey on and see if we can get him in the game if not Duran needs to come on . As for Carlos get rid too slow.

  15. Emery needs to use his squad. Apart from Carlos it’s the third match of the week for these players. Lacking sharpness. Use the subs.

    I am hoping Bailey comes on. It will mean we can attack down both flanks. Currently only have a cutting edge on the left. Duran for Rogers? Play two attackers with half their defence in yellow cards.

    1. Duran for Rodgers?
      Jesus I’d put Bosko Balaban, Douglas Bader or Helen Keller on in his place.
      He’s like playing with a player short, absolutely shocking display.

  16. Carlos is useless and should be substituted. Rogers too having a stinker and Watkins not in the game. Only Onana has been good first half. It looks like McGinn is going off so Bailey should come on. Also Bogarde should come on and Carlos off so Konsa can go back to CB. Maybe put Duran on for Watkins!
    Wolves are getting stuck in and disrupting our rhythm. We need to toughen up otherwise I can see them scoring more.

  19. Very similar the Palace game last season at VP, literally about the same time in September, when we looked out of it then came back to win. This team’s resilience reminds me of Fergies United, and that’s a big compliment!

  20. Yeeeeaasss great turnaround by the super villaaaaa we are joint top of the league say we are joint top of the league woo hoooo

    1. BFR I think you may be getting a little carried away, we played the Dingles, rock bottom – scored 5 conceded 14.
      Hardly what you could call stiff opposition?

  23. Rogers is knackered them are the times we should change players, well I’ve changed my mind , we will win this 😇😇

  24. The depth of our squad when used means we can beat virtually any team in this league consistently.

    As soon as Bailey came on, we had 2 flanks to attack and Wolves could not cope.

    As soon as we stop conceding sloppy goals we will really start to motor.

    Lively to hear the fans chanting about Gary Shaw!

Comments are closed.

Related Post