Ricardo's very very brief Report v Villa

[ricardo 7,380]

Sorry folks but off to a family function.On arrival at the ground and seeing the line up my heart sank. No holding midfielder is asking for trouble and coupled with missing a gift penalty after 6 minutes you can''t say It was anything other than deserved. It was very open early on, far too open in my opinion so when Villa scored firast it was obvious what was to come.In the second half we piled it on as Villa dropped very deep, but I suppose no Villa supporter minded very much. We huffed and puffed and were a shade unfortunate not to score but in reality it was all very predictable after Snoddy missed the pen. Why oh why let an out of form player take your pen?As I predicted the other night, No Johno, no Tetty, no points. You just can''t afford to go a goal behind in this league.More later if I''m still sober

[PurpleCanary 5,556]

[quote user="ricardo"]Sorry folks but off to a family function.On arrival at the ground and seeing the line up my heart sank. No holding midfielder is asking for trouble and coupled with missing a gift penalty after 6 minutes you can''t say It was anything other than deserved. It was very open early on, far too open in my opinion so when Villa scored firast it was obvious what was to come.In the second half we piled it on as Villa dropped very deep, but I suppose no Villa supporter minded very much. We huffed and puffed and were a shade unfortunate not to score but in reality it was all very predictable after Snoddy missed the pen. Why oh why let an out of form player take your pen?As I predicted the other night, No Johno, no Tetty, no points. You just can''t afford to go a goal behind in this league.More later if I''m still sober[/quote]

 

I don''t think that was the only mistake in team selection. Hughton seems to be the only person on Planet Football who believes Elmander is a No. 10. The last football I saw was the Champions League Final and even so I know he isn''t a No. 10. And as Clive Allen (who probably has seen some football) said during the second half in the BBC''s minute-by-minute:"Elmander for me in that role just behind is

not working."

 

[Dubai Mark 0]

Shame its brief Ricardo, do try and add something later. In a sea of the expected negativity on here, this will certainly be the only time I come on the board for another week as it all just gets me down.

As for todays match, I certainly expected a point or three from this match and certainly believe we deserved at on our showing. Villa were never going to be easy and that proved the case, they are super dangerous up front but certainly not the best at the back and we were unlucky not to get something from the game for which I, like many others, am absolutely gutted.

Sure it still is really early doors, but with the next three league fixtures coming up we really needed something today....this is the time for everyone to hold steady big time!!!

I too was surprised with no holding defensive player, but I really dont think that was our undoing today, for me our weakness was up front....that''s RVW and Elmander. Whilst RVW certainly did show signs of his ability (and will come good I''m sure), his work rate, physicality and overall contribution just isnt enough right now, and I feel that he needs to be benched to allow Hooper to come in, who will need games to get sharp but is more physical. As for Elmander, whilst I thought he had been decent in the previous games, today I thought he was absolutely not in the game and as a consequence it was like we were playing with 10 men.......I personally, in this instance, would have either started with Hoolahan or, had we not used a sub for Bassong, certainly would have replaced him with Hoolahan if possible, but I think that choice was removed from the options due to the Bassong substitution as it was clear Redmond needed subbing (sorry to his fan club, but he really didnt get going) and CH had to also go for another forward when he did.

Finally I thought Bennett was excellent when he came on, particularly as the usually excellent Bassong really couldnt get to grips with Villa''s front line and did look out of sorts.

This league is all over the place right now, has not settled, as was demonstrated today by Southampton (yes the same Southampton we beat just a couple of weeks ago) winning at Liverpool and to a certain degree Hull''s win at Newcastle.

 

[basil brush 0]

I expected a loss and sadly, that was the case. Villa were what I thought they would be too. Fast, Loose and riding their luck at times, but being positive and getting the result - i.e the win. Lambert always goes for the win. I remember when Norwich played away from home like that too.

With that said, I don''t view Villa as nothing special and were there for the taking today. We flattered to deceive to a certain extent and we gradually ran out of ideas in what seems a far from harmonious team and that comes from Hughton. Snodgrass pulling rank over the penalty should never have happened and shows a lack of discipline.

I believe we have the players to do rather well, certainly top 10, but as a collective they are rightly or wrongly not buying into Hughton''s philosophy. It just isn''t working and I can''t see it working. The players know this and I''m sure Hughton knows this too. But he has to try.

With much regret, the only way to stop this malaise is for Hughton to go.

[Graham Paddons Beard 2,429]

[quote user="ricardo"]Sorry folks but off to a family function.

On arrival at the ground and seeing the line up my heart sank. No holding midfielder is asking for trouble and coupled with missing a gift penalty after 6 minutes you can''t say It was anything other than deserved. It was very open early on, far too open in my opinion so when Villa scored firast it was obvious what was to come.

In the second half we piled it on as Villa dropped very deep, but I suppose no Villa supporter minded very much. We huffed and puffed and were a shade unfortunate not to score but in reality it was all very predictable after Snoddy missed the pen. Why oh why let an out of form player take your pen?

As I predicted the other night, No Johno, no Tetty, no points. You just can''t afford to go a goal behind in this league.

More later if I''m still sober
[/quote]

 

To be fair Ricardo, you predicted a 2.1 win.

[snake-eyes 13]

With all due respect Ricardo we didn''t lose that game because of no holding Midfielder.

They scored due to bad defending which Johnson nor Tettey would not have prevented.

We lost because we could not score.

There are problems within the team and coaching staff. These need to be addressed fast!

I fir one like having a holding mid as I believe it allows itgers to oush forward better but it would not have helped today!

Snake

[walks on water 0]

I really could be posting this under many threads tonight, but out of respect for Ricardo and his reports,  some of my thoughts on today are going here:Really weird game that! Overall, didn''t think Aston Villa were ''all that'' (the pace and movement of their front three aside) ...we started well.MOVEMENT: from kick-off was probably the best I''ve seen from us this season (and under Hughton) ...better than the Southampton and Everton games but vanished towards the end of the first half...coinciding with....SNODGRASS: he was SHOCKING!!! Forget the reported issue regarding him insisting on taking the penalty rather than RvW (although if he did over rule what had been decided before the game, then that''s worthy of disciplinary action)He''s in a rut, that much is obvious   ...but not helping out his full back and jogging back with no urgency on the side that Villa were having most joy was not good, especially given he is struggling for form. The most marked thing for me was his movement and combinations with other players, thrown into contrast with Pilkington''s when he came on - it was dreadful; Pilks was head and shoulders above. SUBSTITUTIONS: not bad timing; right players coming on, but the whole ground could see that Pilkington for Snodgrass was the change to make. My son remarked beforhand as a joke that Hughton will probably take off Redmond rather than Snodgrass (who was having the mother of all stinkers) ...Jesus wept he DID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Absolutely negligent...was like we were volunteering to play with ten men. I do believe it''s not just the fans that are losing confidence in Chris Hughton''s decision making. His recruitment is first class, and there were signs early on today that the football really was beginning to impressively ''click'' ...but he misses/or doesn''t act upon the obvious, which is proving very damaging...he''s lost the fans, and I believe it''s only a matter of time now unfortunately (because there''s a lot that is good about him)Worryingly I can see our more talented players taking the opportunity to jump ship under his management of the matchday team and subs ...ie you should be in the team on merit and form, otherwise others in reserve should get the chanceand what the hell is going on with Olsson?

[Marsbar66 0]

Well done WOW. If I had drunk less and if I was better educated I''d have said the same.... Exactly.

AV were there to be taken apart and we blew it.

Just watched Chelsea v Fulham. God help us. Fulham were head and shoulders above Villa and us. Chelsea were eventually on a different planet to us