First off, I have to say I was surprised by the inclusion of Taylor and Elmohamady.
I said in the preview, that in my opinion, this was pretty much a free ticket for Dean Smith to do whatever he liked, seeing as it was such a tough fixture and losing wasn’t massively important.
Hence I really don’t understand why Guilbert, who looked very decent in the friendlies, didn’t even get into the squad.
Matt Targett is apparently not so good in defence, so I can possibly understand Taylor starting and to be fair, I thought he actually did okay for us.
Maybe Smith just wanted to see Trezeguet in action and felt that the familiarity of Elmo behind him was just the better option.
I can’t really complain, but just thought that a game like this was ideal for throwing as many of the new signings into the deep end as possible.
After a dodgy eight minutes or so, where we could easily have conceded, John McGinn scored a very nice goal which upped our confidence and led to us having a very decent first half, where we pretty much matched the home side.
The second half was a different matter and as the game went on, so Spurs looked more threatening.
After Ericksen was introduced, Spurs just took control and goals were looking increasingly imminent, which led to much frustration on my part.
So much so, that I questioned Smith’s tactics in not trying to attack them more.
I should say here, that while I love the fact that Dean Smith is our manager, he is not a god. He can and will make mistakes, which I’ll criticise when the time is right. Sorry if you don’t like that, but while I’m a Villa fan, I’m too old to be a totally blind Villa fanatic.
Anyway, after some reflection (which is why the post is a bit late) while I’d have liked us to “go for it” more, so I think it was more a case of a superior side just wore us down.
No doubt if we’d have pushed up more, we’d only have been caught on the break anyway, so it was a bit of a “rock and a hard place” situation.
It was just Smith’s “you score three, we’ll score four” quote that resonated and was winding me up at the time.
Mings was outstanding and looked like a one man defence at times. The encouraging part is Engels looked good alongside him too and you can see a good relationship forming there.
I’ve seen that Jamie Redknapp has raved about Wesley, but find myself wondering why on that showing?
Yes, he was involved in our goal, but otherwise looked pretty lightweight and was out-muscled too easily most of the time. I think he just found the physicality and pace a bit of a shock.
No worries though, as it can take time to adjust to the premier league and I think he will.
Where Redknapp did get it right though, is in saying that John McGinn looked like a £55 million player.
Let’s just say that I’m not surprised in the slightest.
Something I seriously did learn is that it definitely seems like the game has moved on in the short time we’ve been away from the Premier league.
Our performance would probably have got a result anywhere in the championship, because it really wasn’t that bad.
We need to retain the ball better, but that’s something we’ve been saying for a long time.
Which reminds me.
Grealish is totally wasted as part of a Bruce type defence.
I definitely didn’t learn anything there.
Ultimately, we played last season’s Champion’s league finalist and gave a pretty good showing for the majority of the game on their turf.
I’ve definitely learned that I think we’ll be okay overall this season.
i was downhearted at the final whistle, but reflection is always a good thing.
I’d concur with everything you wrote and add the following:
We looked great in the first half and quite capable of holding Spurs off. In the second we tired and I felt we should have subbed earlier.
El Ghazi worries me; on the one hand he can run brilliantly with the ball but his end result needs improving – wish he’d gone off instead of Trez who seems more consistent. Also, I think we could have benefited had Luis come on 15 minutes earlier – he looked sharp and more capable of breaking up their play.
Although I screamed when McGinn scored and hoped we could hang on, even get another, the end result was, in the end, what everyone expected.
For that reason, I too felt downhearted when the final whistle blew.
The long picture, though, does look promising and it was great to see the likes of McGinn and Mings hook up to score a cracker against Championship league runners-up.
Against Spurs we did ok but a much truer test arrives this w/end at VP, in the form of Bournemouth, who incidentally was the first team I ever saw live, against Brentford, in 1971. They were 4th division then but today they are tough opposition and we’ll have to be at our best. It’ll be very interesting to see who makes the 1st 11.
UTV
I endorse what you say Badger but would like to add a few thoughts:
We seemed to come off worse in the majority of 50/50s and general scrambles – were we too tense and therefore wooden or was there an undertone of expecting to come second? Either way that needs to be eradicated.
Imho we played TOO defensively in the second half – we couldn’t expect to spend 45 minutes in our penalty area and not concede – we didn’t have to go hung-ho – just press forward and have a couple of players to threaten.
There were obvious signs that the ‘new’ squad needs a few games to gel but overall at the end I was disappointed but by no means downhearted
and I’m looking forward to the next few games.
On reflection I don’t think that a good dose of reality will do us any harm. We need to do better but that game has shown us exactly where we need to improve.
I’d like to see Luiz, Targett and Guilbert start against Bournemouth. Luiz looked comfortable on the ball for the short spell he was on while Targett and Guilbert will be better at carrying the ball out of defence on the wings and thus relieving the pressure.
If I was Dean I’d fine Jack for every time he comes closer than ten yards to our penalty box. He’s got to be one of our ‘out’ men, someone who’s capable of receiving and holding the ball up and then getting it to our attackers. He’s wasted in defence.
Anyway I’m still feeling confident that we’ll finish well above the relegation zone and that will be success as far as I’m concerned.
I remember the season we went down – at times we played enough good football to think that we stood a chance; IF we had the fire power to score the goals. Ultimately, it was poor fire power that I think really cost us that season. Now we didn’t have a team capable of chipping in goals back then, now we do – so there is that, but after we lost Benteke, we never looked like scoring until we hired Kodja. I hope Wesley finds his feet as I think if he doesn’t, the pressure will soon start to soak into the team and that could undo the good we’re able to achieve elsewhere.
i think the game plan was to break on spuds. scoring the goalearly first half, changed the game plan within the players not the managers tactics. like i said originally we broke well in first 20 odd minutes. but i thought they tired and the players decided to hold what they had.
second half they had no choice, but to hold on to what they had as spuds started like they meant business. villa got compressed back deep into their own half. its far easier to say what we should have done. but when a good team compress you on the back foot its very hard to change that momentum. they did open up after the second goal and quickly conceded the third.
its tough to take for us but we got beaten by a far superior side. but we made them sweat for the points. i thought one or two decisions went against us. wesley has come under a bit of criticism. but he was smashed a few times from behind and referee didn’t do nothing to protect him. his job was to protect spuds delicate players. wesley will come good. his lone solo role was made harder as he had nobody close to him but three spuds defenders. he had nowhere to go if he won the ball he was half a field away from goal and another half away from the support.
the first game was always a write off. but we will take a shit load of lessons learned into the rest of the season
All of Wesley, Kodjia and even Davies will flower during the coming months — no question. Many teams will be eclipsed by Spurs. For Villa, it’s a case of getting accustomed to this league and to each other. It’s about recalibrating to the speed and nous of the teams here. Our midfielders and Wesley stopped running into space to receive the ball in the latter stages of the second half; tiredness at chasing the game? Maybe.
Watching Leeds being held by Salford City. Really glad that we don’t have to play in the early rounds of the Carabao Cup this season.
Bournemouth next. I am gutted to have to miss that – for loads of reasons.
Villa were Bournemouth’s first Premier league visitors, so a neat reversal. The Cherries are, after Villa, the team I most like to see doing well in the EPL. The most experienced EPL manager vs the least experienced. Deans promise – but not yet the reality – is to approach the EPL like Bournemouth and attack home and away – all game.
Defensively they are weaker than us. Eddie has sold us a better defender than the one he kept – Ake. Ake is more use to his team in the oppos penalty box.
Attack wise their strength is that the whole team can shoot straight and most can head the ball on target. Their wingers can’t be left untackled on the grounds they have to cross the ball to be dangerous. They can shoot like Tony Morley.
Bournemouth won’t batter us physically, a change from Saturday. Wesley, Jack and others were left on the floor at WHL looking at the ref and saying “Isn’t that a foul in the EPL?” Evidently not, especially if the perpetrator is playing for a big six team. ‘Physicality’ is the new euphamism for filth. Citeh have wasted no time replacing their prinicipal disher out of filth now he has retired to Anderlecht, and most teams have one.
Another unpleasant surprise is the EPL running stamp – a tackle not aimed at the ball but with studs landing on the opponent’s toes and usually missed by the ref.
Prediction: we will need to play without fading for 90 mins to win.
So I was right in thinking JG would be ‘fouled’ less in the EPL but wrong in thinking he would spend less time being kicked to the floor!
I agree about that stamp OLL. I’ve noticed it too.
Away to Crewe in the league cup it is, then.
Good fixture, as we’ll take a good amount and help their coffers.
There is no doubt that the tactics for the next few weeks will be very different. Hopefully he introduces the new full backs too, as having those attacking threats is so important for us.
I think Wesley just needs some time. The big problem with Abraham, was that for all his goals, he could not hold the ball up at all. Wesley, once he finds his feet, will be able to do this. We have a lot of good attacking players, but we need a target player to work off. For that reason, I would also have Davis on the bench over Kodjia.
Tammy miss a penalty and Chelsea lost the cup.dear o dear.
Bill, I had a feeling he wouldn’t score. Shame but it’s all part of the learning process.
Haven’t said that if he plays against us I wouldn’t mind him missing a penalty at all 🙂
Truth be told his penalties are awful. His winner against Albion was as bad as last night’s. The fact that he never aims for the corners and lacks power suggests a confidence issue. Needs to study Shearer, LeTissier, and Cantona’s pens!
Pat 57, so did I, why that thought came to me God knows, he walked up to the spot, closed his eyes and deep breath hit the ball right side of keeper, trailing leg saved that ball. Hard lines for him and I’d have him back tomorrow Pat.
The BBC has asked people to predict the final placings in the Premier League for this season and here it is –
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49348679
They predict that we’ll finish 15th while Norwich and Sheffield will go down. Just hope they’re right!
So Kodja is out injured for a couple of weeks leaving just Wesley and Davis as our strikers. Whilst I think Hogan isn’t the answer long term, it’s starting to look a mistake letting him go out on loan. He does offer something different to the others. Smith has told Wesley he went down to easily at WHL which is something I commented on after game. Basically meaning toughen up now you are in the premier league. Going back to Kodja, how on earth he managed to get injured when he hardly kicked the ball is beyond me. Good job the rest of the team can contribute to our goal tally.
Holte, if you believe the rumours, Kodjia has agreed personal terms with Besiktas.
Imo Kodjia isn’t injured at all, has quite simply said he wants out and is agitating for a move.
I’ve always liked him. As much as he has seemed clumsy and selfish at times, I agree he offers something different.
But it’s obvious Smith doesn’t rate him, other than as a back-up player.
Which is where I have some sympathy for him.
He’s at his peak and I can see why he wouldn’t want to be on the bench.
That said, he’s contracted and should play the game (which in fairness, he probably is, publicly).
He’s being paid very good money, after all.
Call me a moaner, but we are already lightweight in the striking department, even with Kodjia in the squad.
If we let him go (and I think we will, if he doesn’t want to stay), not getting another striker in will prove to be a massive mistake.
Then again, I suspect we had one lined up and it just went wrong, big time.
I agree that we’re light when it comes to strikers. I know this may sound a bit daft but, as we have so many CBs, why not try Chester up front if we’re stuck? He’s not bad with his feet and he’s scored enough goals with his head to prove that he can be a real threat.
Just an idea (and yes I have had a drink!)
Badger – you do love a conspiracy theory 🙂
You may well be right though – let’s see what the rest of the month brings.
On a broader note, I do think these differing end dates for transfer windows is somewhat farcical and yet another example of the incompetency of those running football. There should be the same window dates across all European football set by EUFA – or better still just abolish them. It seems to me that limited windows are one reason why transfer fees have escalated so much
I certainly do Hitch.
I just find it suspicious that Besiktas are apparently in for him and then he gets “injured”.
It’s all just too convenient.
I hope I’m wrong though.