Villa – Newcastle; Possibly the biggest game of the season

146 thought on “Villa – Newcastle; Possibly the biggest game of the season”

1. Pat57. It’s OK to come out from behind the sofa!

   Not much quality, but we did make the star team in the division look a bad bet at odds on for the title. As for Villa, it is consolidation and a memo to the manager: if they were crap last season, they will be crap again. Magic wands are out of stock.

2. We are a side with some good players and particularly strikers but we don’t have the wide men we need, we aren’t tough enough or creative enough in midfield. Putting players in the wrong places simply doesn’t work. We haven’t got decent width but we have players who can get on the end of crosses. Just a jumble of jigsaw pieces that either don’t fit or the manager can’t put the puzzle together

   1. Midfield is still weak. We are a few years too late for Jedinek and Tishbola looks like he’s going to be injury prone. After those 2 there is no one else that’s any good

      1. @Oohahh

         Still glad though we didn’t follow your advice and get Pearson for manager

         Derby 1 – 2 Blackburn (fourth loss in a row)

         1. They are only 3 points behind us and have spent a fraction of the money

            1. And at that rate could be 15 points behind us at the end of the season. You’re right about the money though. I think we will improve, and January will probably see us address the weaknesses so a late push into the playoffs isn’t beyond us yet. That doesn’t mean I’m convinced about the management team.

3. Happy with the point I hope we can kick on now , we usually fall apart at the end it didn’t happen today . 3pts Tuesday night RDM please .

4. please please no more wastewood, as mentioned we only scored after he went off, bench bacuna as well hopeless
   rdm go simple 442 play codja upfront not out wide with either mccormak or rudi partnering him ayew wide one side adoamh other

   1. Bacuna is a champions league player! How many times 😄

      1. ballboy
         thats as near as champions league he ll get, as bad as mutton is i think i would prefer him
         reading through the blogs tonight i must have been watching a different game
         My game newcastle should have been 4/5 up
         ayew was non exsistant till last 15m after he got bang on head
         wastewood has been a joke for almost 5 years now first choice by most managers in 4 matches on sky he hardly touches anything ball or tackle and on sky vidiprint unless for fouls conceded not mentioned in other 5 what are stat men showing that he is doing
         rdm we need wins no point signing strikers codja and playing out wide

5. We definitely miss McCormack’s mobility playing link between midfield and the strikers. Thought Jedinak improved as the game went on but overall disappointing and I’m really not sure about RDM

   1. If we don’t start winning games shortly the crowd at Villa Park will be on his back and the Doc will be the first on it. 3pts is needed Tuesday night or we are back to square one.

   2. What we need is Gareth Barry to link up play. Or a a similar type of player. Ross Mcormack is not really that sort of player

6. Dear me this seriously is the most negative alleged Villa site in the history of AVFC forums!
   Robbo (the previous blogger) had a point, Randy was running the club into the ground and how right he turned out be but this it’s becoming a complete joke every defender post or prior to God (whatever) is useless well let’s have the debate.
   Would McGrath got into a Sir Ron side?
   Did he offer as much as Evans and McNaught?
   Personally I don’t thing he’d have got anywhere near that championship/ Europe Cup winning side hence her Ferguson let him go.
   Did he offer as much as those two?
   Well they have the medals to prove they were superior.

   1. How dare u knock Mcgrath knock the site by all means but not the Lord! I think the only decent pairing we’ve had in the premiership was Southgate and Eghiogh. Under Brian Little we had a good defence but Staunton was always the weak link another error prone defender that used to cost us.

      1. I ain’t knocking him a great servant to the club but did he offer as much as Evans all round?
         No in my opinion.
         I always felt it was a touch of the emperors New clothes, to say he was just ok was bordering on heresy but if I’m honest he was never a favourite of mine.

         1. Bear in mind he had dodgy knees and was still our mom must weeks

      2. Mellbery an Laursen were a good pairing. Staunton the weak link! No chance!

         1. Laurrsen was error prone. Staunton was crap couldn’t believe it when we resigned him after he left us to go back to Liverpool! Has to be one of the biggest transfer cock yo in our history and we’ve made a few of them!

7. Shocking first half. Cant understand the decision to play 3 at the back again, it didnt work against Ipswich. Lucky not to have been 4 down at HT.

   Much better second half. Tshibola made a big difference as did switching to 4 at the back. Ayew and Amavi were excellent. Hopefully thats the turning point for us. We wont play better teams than them.

   1. Even Sky said 352 was to complex for players. If he was going to do this system he should of practiced it in pre season and the early games not now.

8. I’m wondering if that last 15 minutes of the game has been drummed into the team over the way Villa been turned over in every game, yes we might have been 3 down first half but we might have been 3 back second half, if by any chance Villa follows media posts stop playing Westwood he’s negative in creating chances, and thanks for fines and suspension on Grealish he needs to understand we pay to see talent and not read from money making paparazzi media.that Newcastle game might be the turning point for us Ayew turn the game in the middle for me but was missing in first half.

   1. The point is Bill us that ever since Houllier we are are a one half team. When was the last time you ever saw us play well for the whole 90mins!

9. And so it begins;

   http://www.footballinsider247.com/promotion-expert-lined-up-to-replace-di-matteo-at-aston-villa-report/

   1. Badger I’ve said it before this chairman actually does want success at the club RDM is on thin ice & will keep on replacing the manager until he gets it.I said yesterday RDM or pearson for the chop first in this league.I’d take Bruce at a drop of a hat

   2. If that’s the best we can get them we should stick with RDM. He will make us hard to beat and maybe cut out defensive errors but we won’t win enough games under him.

10. I suspect you might be right Giddy.
    I’m still mulling over what I saw yesterday before I write my thoughts.

11. Said it all along never the man for Villa, ok did wonders abroad and Chelsea but nerver experienced English football at the bottom, need a manager that knows the league’s, Bruce would do fine for me so would Pearson.

12. I just been reading RDMs post match speech he thought we were under the cosh for the first half hour really???? What fucking game was he watching???? Try 75mins.the blokes deluded

13. Totally disagree with you on Pesrson Bill, he’s started terribly at Derby, without his Leicester backroom staff he’s floundering. Not sure about RDM’s record abroad either, he was awful at Schalke.

    1. Agree. May as well stick with RDM. Bruce will be slaughtered by the fans if he dosnt hit ground running. Dr X should learn from Lerners mistake with Mclown

14. Considering we finished miles behind Norwich and Newcastle last year, its no real surprise we’re trailing them in the league.
    Whilst spending 50m plus in this league brings pressure to win, you can’t turn around a whole weak mentality of a club in such a short space of time. We were never ever going to challenge for automatic promotion this season. There was just too much change required over the summer.
    I do however have my doubts over Di Matteo, his tactics, formations and substitutions have already cost us a significant amount of points, which is exactly what happened in his disastrous spell at Schalke.
    He needs more time but failure to beat Barnsley or Preston and I can see the away fans turning. He’s been successful in this league before but that was many years ago when the championship was a lot weaker.

15. I’m hoping that we don’t change managers too soon. That last 15 minutes was the most spirited bit of football I’ve seen from the Villa in years.

    While I think it might be wise to keep someone like Bruce in the wings just in case, I feel that we need to give RDM more time. I really don;t like the modern fashion of ditching managers if the team doesn’t perform immediately. I’d at least give RDM until Xmas and if we’re still in the same position then okay.

    However if the team can play with the freedom that they did at the end of yesterday’s game they’ll slaughter most of the teams in this league.

    Still hoping

    UTV

    1. I agree. The point is we could get Guadiola and even he couldn’t take us further than play offs now. If we stay within top 8 in new year and buy a couple of players we should sneak into play offs. Though no guarantee we will that either

16. RDM like him or not needs a couple of years to get this team firing again. Any manager would!.. 5 years of decline is not fixable in 6 months end of so what’s the point in calling for his head? We’ve only lost two games which imo is a big turn around from last year. Ok we’ve not been perfect but we need time we can’t rush anything.

    1. A couple of years ?. Today’s game is a results industry and if you are not getting them bye bye . Times have changed with the team we have should be doing a lot better .

       1. But changing managers every 20 games hasnt really worked for us has it?? Like I said no manager could come in and do any better its just the state of the club like it or not. Yes we have new players that are good players but they need to mould in to a team and that takes time.

    2. Plus we’ve not lost at home yet

17. Enough no more excuses RDM OUT.
    It’s embarrassing

18. Frustrates me at the lack of intensity we start with. Sloppy in possession, have tried to be positive about Westwood and Bacuna but they were our biggest culprits. We also seem to be nowhere near the second ball when play breaks down.

    I may be alone in my thoughts but Ayew is a luxury player. One good run when he hit the post aside from that he holds onto the ball for too long, doesn’t pick a pass and is too greedy.

    But I am seeing green shoots of recovery. Jedinak grew into the game. Tshibola played well and gave us more bite in the middle, plus a good cameo from Hepburn-Murphy.

    Let’s have a decent 90 mins against Barnsley, rather than just turning up for 45.

    1. I agree Fastjet, Ayew seems to play for himself, not the team and undoes much of his good work on the ball by not passing it to a better placed colleague. Opponents quickly learn to crowd you if you aren’t likely to pass to the players they have stopped marking to crowd you.

       I don’t agree with the dump the manager cries. Conclusive proof of failure with a team of his purchases, or players that were good last year and worse this year would be enough. But the inherited players are still rubbish, and the owner has not yet bought him replacements.

    2. I think that’s a harsh assessment of Ayew; his performances throughout the first nine games have been consistently good and aggressive going forward. He’s consistently created chances for others (corner for the goal taken by Ayew) and has been unlucky not to have scored at least a couple. His runs into the box when RDM eventually played him in the no 10 role later in second half caused all sorts of problems and his run and shot which hit the post were a sublime demonstration of footballing skills. Perhaps he should just keep passing the ball three or four yards sideways aka Westwood? Why is it we criticise our better players alongside the poorer ones and then wonder why we are worse without them – Delph, Vlaar even Benteke spring to mind.

       I’m as disappointed as anyone by the start we’ve made but like BWS said earlier – can’t help feeling there is too much negativity.

       1. I don’t think its negativity, I think its high standards and that’s what we all want.

       2. Vlaar!! Seriously

          1. So the defence played so much better without him then OohAh?

             The point I’m making is not that Vlaar was the best but he was a lot better than the players we ended up with.

             Be careful for what you wish.

             1. Oh so true Hitch, the tripe we’ve had since he left is much to be desired, and Bencey83 your spot on about Ayew.

             2. Disagree. Vlaar was as bad as Lescott etc the only difference was that vlaar cared

    3. And there lies the problem why can’t we play for 90 mins.

19. So many people slagging Ayew, but he’s been our best player in most of the games and created most of our decent chances. Should have had a couple of goals, but hit the woodwork.

    1. Absolutely. ok he’s not perfect, his decision making might not be the best at times but he’s certainly got ability and he gets bums off seats. What do people want 11 Westwood’s?
       I think not.

       1. 11 westwoods ,1 is 1 to many

20. Villa are nearly there. Ok we’ve lost points and should be at least in top 6. Any manager who took this job had a huge task following on from last season. Give RDT time. Results will come and we will climb the league. Credit to the players on Saturday, we would not of come back and earned a draw last season.
    It might be the championship but no game is easy. I thought Newcastle were our toughest game so far and we could of snatched it late on.
    Once we get a few wins it will bring confidence to a group of players who will be challenging for top 6. Lot of games to play so keep the faith.

    1. Spot on Karl, we’re one good result away from being off and running. All we need is a little rub of the green, take Saturday another game the header might have stood, we might have had a pen (dubious but we’ve seen them given) and Ayews would have gone in off the post.
       Ok all if buts and maybe’s but I really believe we are one good result away from being the dominant team in this league.

       1. Even Holloway is saying we are not getting the ‘rub of the green’ – but surely that has to change at some point.

          Negatives from Saturday – RDM seemed to want to contain rather than attack Newcastle and was too slow to change the tactics / team shape. It seemed that we were frightened of them in the first half – why?
          Positives – we kept going and never gave up even after having a goal disallowed. Last 20 minutes of non stop attacking intent. Tshibola and Jedinak looking a more commanding figure as the game progressed and finally a word in support of Gollini who’s starting to look like a decent keeper.

          Keep the faith. UTV

          1. Been mulling over the same point Hitchens. I think RDM went into the game with a don’t lose mind set. A loss to Newcastle would’ve been pretty damaging. Having watched us struggle to contain them and then concede a goal anyway he made positive changes but then again he had no choice.

             i guess if we had gone too positive from the start and lost we would be criticising that. Wise after the event and all that. Fair point about Gollini as well. He did have a decent game.

             I think drawing when coming from behind late on against one of the strongest teams in the division, rather than letting a lead slip to a late goal against an “also ran” team should be a big confidence boost. Hopefully that will show against Barnsley. Once we get on a roll we should be more than a match for the majority of the teams in this league.

             1. DSV, I’ve watched the game 5-6 times and got to say a mixture of bad luck lost us 2 points, yes I’ll go with you saying Di Matteo had that Mind set on the game but he certainly didn’t show it in in the managers box area , he showed lack ok concern to me and only moved leaning on corner of dugout when we scored. He needs to show more asking so fans can join in with him.

             2. What people on here are forgetting is we only finished well as we were a goal down with nothing to lose. Now if we were 1.0 up in that game with 20 mins left we would of gone deep, got nervous and concede. When in fact we should be playing like we did in last 20 mins. RDM has to take flak but our default position is to try and go a goal up and hope we hang on to it

             3. Come on OoHah you can do better than that. All the posts I read recognise the
                ‘too late’ scenario and concerns over RDM’s tactics and you are being disingenuous about the ‘nothing to lose’ comment. Would the Villa of last season finish like that with ‘nothing to lose’?

                The games I’ve seen this season do not support your claimed default position – that we’ve failed to kill games off is indisputable but – but that we set out to go 1-0 up and hang on……………………………

                1. But look at what happens Hitchens. As soon as we are a goal up and there are 15 mins or so left we are incapable of seeing the game out. We then start defending deeper and deeper and the other team is all over us. We all know it’s just a matter of time before opposition equalise. It’s happened virtually every game we’ve been ahead except Rotherham.

21. i was also very happy with the result, as the posts above me said…. if we had snatched the win, it would have definitely been our turning point for the better. but even equalizing late on, rallying against the supposedly the strongest team last 20 minutes shows us /them they can do this, this might be enough to give the team /squad the belief to carry us into the promotion chase.

    newcastle are just ahead of us in their players have a system they play which suits them, where we are still head scratching chopping changing systems. their players are more gelled and ours are still bedding in. but their are plenty signs things are coming good. patience from us will pay off and we surge up the table,

22. Agree with a lot of the quite positive posts above.

    To me that last 20 minutes felt like a bit of a turning point. It was the first time the players had thrown off their nerves and said sod it let’s just go for it.

    And go for it they did, really unlucky not to get all 3 points in the end. If they can do the same for the rest of the season they will definitely win more than they’ll lose.

    We’ll see tomorrow. Away against Barnsley will be a tough game and, again, I’d settle for a point right now.

    1. Behave I’d rather lose than get a point. Points are useless to us now

       1. I’d rather lose than get a point, I’ve heard it all now a point is better than fuckall.Ooha don’t ever try to join mensa

          1. it would feed Oohah’s negative energies more effectively Giddy.

             Oohah – you’re not a bear trader on the stock market by any chance?

             1. Ha ha

          2. Disagree a point is useless now. A point was useless this time last year as well. We need to start winning games fast. Better to throw the kitchen sink at teams and go for 3 points and lose than just keep getting a point. A point a game will keep us up that’s about it.

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