I’m worried about today.
We face Newcastle at home and the truth is I don’t have the foggiest idea about how this game is going to go.
It’s easy to take a pessimistic view and look at our form compared to the opposition’s and assume it’s all over before we kick a ball. But we should at the same time remember that Wolves managed to turn them over on their own patch.
So while the barcodes are a decent side, they are by no means unbeatable.
But what worries me, is that the longer we go without a win, so the self-doubt surely has to start creeping in and getting a result is going to become more and more difficult.
We need the breakthrough three points, it’s as simple as that.
Tshibola should be fit for this one but Nathan Baker, Ross McCormack and Rudy Gestede all face fitness tests.
Newcastle have Yurdun Anita in the middle of a three match ban, but I’m not sure how much of a problem that will be as they’ve used more players this season than any other side. Which is a bit more worrying if they’re doing so well and Benitez hasn’t settled on his best team yet.
The press seem determined to try and create some fierce rivalry between the clubs and I really can’t say I care for it.
We’re two respected clubs who have never really had any problem, a bit of banter apart and that’s how I’d like it to stay. Mick Quinn trying to fan any flames doesn’t help and the ony comment I’d have for him is “shut up, you fat git”, which is what I most remember about him when he played.
So while I don’t know what to think, I’m going to stay positive and believe that we can win this.
Actually, that reads wrong, as I believe we can beat anybody in this league. It’s actually achieving it, that is proving the problem.
I’ll predict a 2-1. And hope it’s in our favour.
There’s also the question of Jack Grealish and what we think of his latest partying situation.
I’m adding a belated poll, but the truth is I’m not sure what the question should be.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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.
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 .
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.
Plus we’ve not lost at home yet
Enough no more excuses RDM OUT.
It’s embarrassing
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.
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.
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.
I don’t think its negativity, I think its high standards and that’s what we all want.
Vlaar!! Seriously
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.
Oh so true Hitch, the tripe we’ve had since he left is much to be desired, and Bencey83 your spot on about Ayew.
Disagree. Vlaar was as bad as Lescott etc the only difference was that vlaar cared
And there lies the problem why can’t we play for 90 mins.
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.
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.
11 westwoods ,1 is 1 to many
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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……………………………
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.
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,
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.
Behave I’d rather lose than get a point. Points are useless to us now
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
it would feed Oohah’s negative energies more effectively Giddy.
Oohah – you’re not a bear trader on the stock market by any chance?
Ha ha
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.