I don’t know what it is, but I’m finding it increasingly harder to write anything about the Villa lately.
International breaks, where England get ridiculously easy draws in the qualifiers, yet crumble at the first sign of any half decent opposition don’t help things in the slightest and I’ve detested the things for years, but somehow there’s more to it than that of late.
I think a lot of it stems to our current position and our current form.
We’re in a position now where we cannot be relegated.
Obviously that’s great, but if you then consider how poorly we’ve been playing for literally months now, we’re not going to make Europe either. I’m sure many will think that’s a good thing, because it’s too soon and we haven’t got the squad.
I totally get that and it’s probably the majority opinion that we haven’t even got the squad for the Premier league, which shows even more how well we’ve done this season.
But I looked on in envy at Wolves last year when they were in Europe and I’m not convinced you should give up on trying to qualify, even if you might prove not good enough.
But that’s an aside.
It seems to me we’ve nothing to play for and our football is basically demonstrating that.
And it’s boring.
Go on, think about it. When was the last time you enjoyed watching a Villa game?
Where’s the free flowing football that we saw earlier in the season, where you actually expected a goal, not just hoped we’d get one?
Where’s the zest, the drive, the basic excitement about our game?
It hasn’t been there for ages for me and it’s beginning to tell on my patience.
Sky’s constant messing about with the kickoff times doesn’t help. Football at 4.30 on a Sunday just feels wrong to me and always will.
But if I’m honest, I don’t even look forward to a Villa game anymore, probably because I know exactly what I’m going to get.
The same tired tactics from a manager who doesn’t even like to sub, let alone bring new players in.
The same players who have persistently underperformed for weeks, yet hardly ever get dropped.
The same one up front, which for all the effort just isn’t producing results.
It’s just boring.
Smith would probably counter that he’s introduced Ramsay. Indeed he has, but has he looked anything like useful?
Be honest and not sentimental and the truth is no he hasn’t. At all.
So take him out of the limelight and get another youngster in.
What is there to lose?
We’re playing like we don’t want to achieve anymore this season, so we might as well just do SOMETHING different.
We’re playing Fulham. Put Davis right next to Ollie and hoof it to them. Just for the hell of it.
Does anyone even care if we win or lose this game? What does it matter?
We all know it won’t happen.
So what to talk about then?
There is nothing. We all know who is going to play and how we’re going to play.
The only possible thing to talk about is if Jack comes back in or not.
If he does, we might be a better team, although I wouldn’t expect him to hit the ground running.
And if he doesn’t, we’ll just be, well…..
I’m going for 2-1.
But I don’t have a clue who will win.
It’s just a case of which team is worse, to my mind.
Comments
89 responses to “Villa – Fulham; A game of football.”
Go on Trez!
1-1!
Effing YES!
And Trez for 2!
Mad isn’t it?
WTF!!!!!!!
Great work from Davis.
I add Trez to that list!!!!!!
If I was at that game I’d have left and gone to the pub. Glad I’m not!!!
Hitch, my bitch!!! 3-1…what did I say earlier!!!!!!! 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😐😐😐😐
I bow in subjugation Bum Bum 🙂
Badger – you’ve always had faith in Trezeguet but seems introduction of Davis made quite a difference.
Fair play to Smith.
Actually couldn’t watch because I was cooking dinner for our son and his fiancé although it was on in the background!
Go on Ollie.
This is much more like it.
3-1
Where did Traore get this new energy from. Best game for him. Might just get moved up the list on MOTD. UTV.
Haha what happend there?? Davis and Trez were super subs today. Traore with a bit of skill and turns the game on its head. Happy with the win but not the performance. Please say Grealish is back next match!?? 🙏
In all honesty we didn’t deserve that. 3 in 9 minutes. Weird sport innit!!!
Why did we wait until the 75th minute to start playing?
Mings must be breathing a massive sigh of relief. That was a howler!
Souness was very magnanimous about Mings. Despite his mistake he drove forward trying to make amends and provided the ball for the equaliser. Fair point. Tyrone, you are forgiven!!!
You can all thank me for that.. I got down on my knees and prayed, I told him if he didn’t help us I’d punch his head when I get there.
Jolly well done Bill!!!!!
Grealish out drinking til way past midnight last night. Doing shots apparently. Not good
If that’s true DS then one wonders whether he didn’t play for disciplinary reasons.
Putting that to one side – have Villa crossed a rubicon – do they now believe they can win without Grealish? After all this is the first time all season that we’ve come from behind to win – Grealish or no Grealish!
And Davis posed a question – again.
Davis looked really good TBF. He is strong but showed some really nice control as well. It’s a shame he picks up so many injuries as it would be interesting to see how he fared with a bit of a run in the team.
As for Grealish who knows?
Didn’t see that result coming. Davis made a huge difference and we actually got players in their penalty area and scored goals. Who would’ve thought it?
If Grealish is out for longer, then Smith should have learnt a lesson today. Watkins and Davis should be paired.
The game changed with Davis’ introduction. Looks like the plan B we have called for may become more regular.
Smith will come under a lot of pressure next season if the team serve up dross like the first 80 minutes. He needs to use more of the squad and be able to change the style of play effectively.
The trouble is Sid, Davis should have been brought in in a similar way, games back. Even I called for it before the game and what do I know?
It’s really not rocket science.
If playing Ollie up front alone isn’t working, change it. Particularly when you’ve absolutely nothing to lose.
Great to see Trez make such a quick impact and to answer your point Hitch, yes I like Trez for what he brings in energy and shots.
But even I’d lost some faith lately as he’d been as bad as many, of late.
We should make the most of being happy about the win today.
But the reality is we were abysmal for most of that game.
And it’s Liverpool up next.
Finding the art of winning again – that’s also important.
We had lost it, playing sterile, fearful football more about not losing than winning.
Even with Grealish back, I’d stick with Davis and Ollie up front.
Looking at the remaining fixtures and our recent form = 6 points. I hope I am wrong but don’t see many more.
I was thinking exactly the same, Sid.
I was about to start a new bomb squad. Smith the 1st name on it for lying about Grealish’s injury. As it is the airheads who comment on the Birmingham Mail imagine that Grealish has injured shins because he wears tiny shin pads, whereas that is the cart before the horse. Because he is prone to shin splints the pressure of full size pads will make him sore so he wears tiny pads that can hang loose.
Today’s result has spared Smith, that and the belief – I have no proof – that Lange bought Sanson, Smith didn’t want him. At least today the 3 under-performing players El Ghazi, Sanson and Luiz were taken off. From the bench Ramsay and Trez were automatic choices but Davis was an option. Smith at last gets it right. Luck or judgement – I think you can guess.
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For Holte66. Try changing your email address and name to 66Holte. That’s like what I have done to get round the moderation.
I was wondering if you’d got round it somehow, OLL. That’s brilliant 🙂
How strange though.
As for Grealish, interesting thought. It would certainly explain why he wears them.
RE Sanson, I don’t buy this “he’s one for next season” at all.
In fact it’s the biggest load of crap I’ve ever heard about a player who isn’t a kid and he’s either good enough or he’s not.
I don’t think Smith wanted Sanson either, but I think there’s a few Smith didn’t want. Guilbert springs to mind. He was signed under Smith’s watch, but I doubt he was involved.
Test from Holte
Agree on the Sanson theory. Something just doesn’t fit the by nature of the signings we made pre season.
It really feels like Sanson was that BLT sandwich that was on the clearance rack for 25p, after taking a few bites, you can’t help but feel you should have paid full price for the ploughman’s triple pack at £2:95.
Badger based on the comments regarding Sanson. Have we ever bought a decent French player? I’m racking my brains and I think they have all failed at Villa!
Dicier Six – odd moment
David Ginola – past his best
Mathiue Berson – sunk without trace
Didier Agatha – waste of ink on contract
Robert Pires – final payday for nothing
Charles Ngzombia – wasted tens of £ms on him
Ally Cissoko – a defender who could not defend
Jordan Amavi and Vertout- both contributed to our relegation
Frederic Guilbert- guaranteed yellow card
Morgan Sanson – I’ll reserve judgement until after next pre- season.
So basically, we have truly been shafted by the French. Perhaps Brexit and the need for more home grown players will stop us from shopping at the bargain basement across the Channel. Insanity is doing the same thing again and expecting a different outcome. 10/10 failures to date and one with the jury currently out.
i was thinking Ginola, but you named him and yes, probably past his best.
I quite like Guilbert, fwiw. He’s a solid defender if that’s what you need, imo and decent backup.
but otherwise struggling to think of any Frenchman who did well for us.
Ginola was past his best, but ‘past his best’ was better than most player’s best. Gregory’s massive ego deprived us of a great talent. Greg couldn’t take someone cooler and suaver than him at the club, so he insulted him publicly and marginalised him. Amataurish handling of a bona-fine world-class talent that we were lucky to have at VP. Full marks to Doug for signing him. Ancient history but a real shame.
I’m going to beg to differ – not that I think Sanson has shown any real quality yet but then neither has Luis nor McGinn of late. There seems to be something amiss with our mid field – and is it really just the absence of Grealish?
Whether Smith supported his acquisition or not is pure conjecture.
When Sanson left Marseilles for a knock down price it incensed Villas-Boas to the point where he openly criticised the club owners – albeit obtusely – by accusing Villa of making a derisory offer which subsequently led to his departure. To my mind, for a manager to publicly criticise his employers, suggests that Sanson is a much better player than we have currently witnessed.
Players do take time to settle at a new club and it’s important that they’re played in their best position within a set up that suits them.
I return to my opening point that something’s just not right with our mid field?
Barkley is a much better player than we’ve witnessed for months. But he’s still been awful and it’s a case of how long can you let a player be rubbish, yet still play him?
McGinn has been exactly the same.
Trouble is, there isn’t a single midfielder who’s played well for weeks.
It’s very odd that so many players seem to have gone out of form at the same time.
But I strongly believe poor tactics and sticking with the same players for too long has something to do with it.
I noticed that we’re having a proper clearout amongst the U23s at the end of the season. It’s about time. As a club, we’ve held on to too many players for far too long.
We need to get ruthless and get rid.
Hourihane is the first and I think quite a few more will follow.
I always thought Jordan Veretout could have been a brilliant player, was with us when we were at our worst. Isn’t he doing quite well now?