Aston Villa 1-1 Wolves: Verdict Thread

[White Wolf]

I said we had to score a second when we were well on top and that proved to be the case.

I’m sorry to say, but I think we might go down.

I don’t see Jeff or the recruitment team finding the players Julen wants - and the current squad is woefully lacking in squad depth and in form players.

Our defence is a liability, and we can’t score at the other end. That has all the makings of a side that will go down.

Appalling goal to concede and with Forest winning and other teams picking up points, it’s another opportunity down the drain.

I’m also concerned about Julen’s substitutions, because that’s two games in a row where we’ve looked much worse after he’s switched things up.

Saying we should score a second goal hardly makes you Nostradamus, the tone is weirdly self-congratulatory.

"Other teams picking up points" - like who? West Ham and Leeds played eachother, at least one team around us inevitably had to get points and Forest were playing Southampton anyway.

4 points from the first three under Lopetegui is pretty good personally and results for the teams around us have mostly been in our favour of late (except Forest winning). Personally I feel more optimistic about us staying up, we certainly didn't look like a relegation side first-half and there are certainly three teams worse than us currently.

 

[Johnny75]

Bueno should have been in line, obviously, but when a void like that opens up in the middle of your defense you better be running the most effective offside trap in the history of football.

Not really, when you play 4 at the back like we do it's the full back that covers round of the CB is out of position.

But Bueno is a kid and isn't reading the game like a top end full back yet.

That ball travels a long way and is clearly seen. Bueno should track round but he didn't react. Harsh on the lad but he'll learn and when he does he can bollock Kilman for trying to cheat.

 

[HanDoJin]

20 games to go. That’s a lot of football and I feel of all the teams in the bottom 7-8 -not one of them would turn down Lopetegui in charge.

Saints are wank. Bournemouth are well organised but shite. Everton a mess. West Ham very ordinary. Leeds coach is a dick. Even Palace are looking wobbly

 

[Alan]

Not really, when you play 4 at the back like we do it's the full back that covers round of the CB is out of position.

But Bueno is a kid and isn't reading the game like a top end full back yet.

That ball travels a long way and is clearly seen. Bueno should track round but he didn't react. Harsh on the lad but he'll learn and when he does he can bollock Kilman for trying to cheat.

Yeah I get that technically it's on Bueno but the gap Kilman leaves is massive. Even in two years that situation will be asking a lot of our young Spaniard.

Bueno was also significantly better throughout the game so a little extra rub of the green for him there.

 

[Wolvensam]

Not really, when you play 4 at the back like we do it's the full back that covers round of the CB is out of position.

But Bueno is a kid and isn't reading the game like a top end full back yet.

That ball travels a long way and is clearly seen. Bueno should track round but he didn't react. Harsh on the lad but he'll learn and when he does he can bollock Kilman for trying to cheat.

Agreed. It was on both of them really, think Kilman half expected Bueno to cover which is why he was effectively jogging.

 

[Johnny75]

I thought we were much improved from earlier in the season (couldn’t get any worse, really) and confidence is clearly growing under Lop.

Whether it was down to Villa being abysmal or us being decent, that first half was a distant memory three months ago. I think we’ll survive but it’ll be close.

I thought both Hwang and Podence made a huge difference to our pressing game.

When both went off along with Moutinho, the drop in quality killed us and allowed Villa time and space to get back into the game.

If the players that come on can't press we need to bin them off.

 

[WsWolf]

Saying we should score a second goal hardly makes you Nostradamus, the tone is weirdly self-congratulatory.

"Other teams picking up points" - like who? West Ham and Leeds played eachother, at least one team around us inevitably had to get points and Forest were playing Southampton anyway.

4 points from the first three under Lopetegui is pretty good personally and results for the teams around us have mostly been in our favour of late (except Forest winning). Personally I feel more optimistic about us staying us, we certainly didn't look like a relegation side first-half and there are certainly three teams worse than us currently.

The issue with this for me is that we only ever seem to put together bits of a performance, great first half score a goal and then rather than commit to killing the game with another we try and hold on, sometimes it'll work but most times it won't and we'll concede.

Obviously early days and it may well be down to a lack of options but it seems to me that he's quite a negative decision maker in-game which isn't great when the only way we are going to get out of this is to win games.

 

[HanDoJin]

Man we really need a centre back and someone to actually score, but who wouldn’t have taken a win at Goodison, a very narrow defeat v Utd (who should finish top 4, really) and an away point from Villa?

First half was absolutely night and day from the absolute dross we were serving up in October and November.



Semedo was very dependable tonight I thought too.

 

[Carsy]

I thought both Hwang and Podence made a huge difference to our pressing game.

When both went off along with Moutinho, the drop in quality killed us and showed Villa time and space to get back into the game.

If the players that come on can't press we need to bin them off.

Good points regarding the press and replacements. I was thinking hwang is a very good footballer without the ball, if that makes sense?

 

[Johnny75]

The issue with this for me is that we only ever seem to put together bits of a performance, great first half score a goal and then rather than commit to killing the game with another we try and hold on, sometimes it'll work but most times it won't and we'll concede.

Obviously early days and it may well be down to a lack of options but it seems to me that he's quite a negative decision maker in-game which isn't great when the only way we are going to get out of this is to win games.

Think that's harsh, the man's only been here 5 minutes.

I'd put it down to options.

 

[Carsy]

Man we really need a centre back and someone to actually score, but who wouldn’t have taken a win at Goodison, a very narrow defeat v Utd (who should finish top 4, really) and an away point from Villa?

First half was absolutely night and day from the absolute dross we were serving up in October and November.



Semedo was very dependable tonight I thought too.

No issues with Nelson tonight. Played fairly well. Attacking output not great at times again but fairly dependable.

 

[Johnny75]

Good points regarding the press and replacements. I was thinking hwang is a very good footballer without the ball, if that makes sense?

Thought Hwang played well tonight. Would like to see him get forward more but he has Digne on toast a couple of times.

 

[HanDoJin]

Just seen on Twitter Lop has the same points after 3 games as the previous 9. 20. More. Games.

 

[Jinky]

Saying we should score a second goal hardly makes you Nostradamus, the tone is weirdly self-congratulatory.

"Other teams picking up points" - like who? West Ham and Leeds played eachother, at least one team around us inevitably had to get points and Forest were playing Southampton anyway.

4 points from the first three under Lopetegui is pretty good personally and results for the teams around us have mostly been in our favour of late (except Forest winning). Personally I feel more optimistic about us staying up, we certainly didn't look like a relegation side first-half and there are certainly three teams worse than us currently.

Drop the attitude, darling. I said in the matchday thread we needed a second goal when we were on top & that’s what I was referring to. Nothing more, nothing less.

Why should we exclude Forest? They’re a direct rival to us and have won tonight and took a point off Chelsea at the weekend. West Ham & Leeds both getting a point mean they’ve equaled us tonight - therefore it’s an opportunity missed for us to make some headway on them by holding on for the win.

I’m not sure there’s “certainly” three teams worse than us. Saints & Everton are in woeful form but I expect both to turn a corner eventually. Everyone else from Forest to Bournemouth & above keep picking up results. We need to turn results like tonight in to wins and losses like the weekend just gone in to draws sharpish or we’re bang in trouble.

That said, obviously I’m more optimistic now than when we had the charlatan in charge, but we need quality signings through the door quick.

 

[Alan]

@MARKakaJIM I don’t know what your laughs mean

 

[Carsy]

Think that's harsh, the man's only been here 5 minutes.

I'd put it down to options.

It isnt uncommon for a team to end the half on top and for it the totally flip on its head start of the 2nd. The disappointing thing for me was it wasn’t just for a 10/15 minute period. We were pretty much defending/holding on all 2nd half.

I don’t want to be negative as there’s definitely positives to be drawn. First half was the best I’ve seen us this year, and how we spread the ball out wide was quality at times

 

[Carsy]

Thought Hwang played well tonight. Would like to see him get forward more but he has Digne on toast a couple of times.

I was happy with the whole front 3 first half. Even Costa played well I thought

 

[Wolvensam]

I thought both Hwang and Podence made a huge difference to our pressing game.

When both went off along with Moutinho, the drop in quality killed us and allowed Villa time and space to get back into the game.

If the players that come on can't press we need to bin them off.

This is the problem. I can see the thought behind the subs but the quality isn’t there currently. Traore is the biggest culprit for not pressing.

 

[WsWolf]

Think that's harsh, the man's only been here 5 minutes.

I'd put it down to options.

Could well be and I'll properly judge him when he's got a few more options on tbe bench. Especially if we are going to play a high pressing style.

I just don't know why he's going with Hodge when Cunha or Raul could play in the hole, I'd even leave Moutinho on, him at 30% is better than Hodge and 3 times now he's done that Toti change. As if it's just a planned sequence regardless of what's going on within the game, when Ings scored he should have been sat back down in favour of an attacking option. I'd even have settled for the non entity that is Guedes.

 

[Wolvensam]

I don’t really understand the aversion to Raul when he very much used to press from the front under Nuno. Whether he’s not quite fit or JL just doesn’t see him as a long term solution?

I think Costa would benefit us more as a substitute than a starter when we need to hold the ball up later on in games.