Aston Villa vs Manchester United : Official Matchday Thread 06/11/2022 @ 2.00pm

Originally Posted by Joe Biden

I'd play the Scottish player over beek.

Deffo in a game like today when you know they are going to have a go, cup final, their place, new manager. Shut the shop and nick one. even when we started playing they looked like they could break at any time.

Game was mismanaged, team were tired and a load of the usual under performances. Surprised they didn't push on and look for more.

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

To replace Bruno, yes. It allowed Casemiro and Eriksen to stay where they have been playing. Point is, we didn’t have many options. If not Beek, then back to McFred. Fred doesn’t stop teams running through us either, btw. As the last few years have shown. The line up was fine. The performance.

You don't need a midfield full of defensive minded cloggers like McTominay in order to stop teams walking through you. You need positional and defensive discipline and for everyone to do their job. It's a tough ask to press as a team but if 2 or 3 players aren't doing it properly it f***s everything up.

Like in the first 5 mins when lindelof gets pulled up the pitch to virtually the halfway line and lets his man turn him easy leaving an acre of space in behind and de gea makes a piss poor attempt at a save.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

You don't need a midfield full of defensive minded cloggers like The Scottish Player in order to stop teams walking through you. You need positional and defensive discipline and for everyone to do their job. It's a tough ask to press as a team but if 2 or 3 players aren't doing it properly it f***s everything up.

Like in the first 5 mins when lindelof gets pulled up the pitch to virtually the halfway line and lets his man turn him easy leaving an acre of space in behind and de gea makes a piss poor attempt at a save.

Ten Hag not happy afterwards and basically said the players didn’t follow the rules. Lindelof moment you’ve mentioned being a prime example.

The third goal pissed me off the most. Lindelof let the guy run 40 yards and into the area without engaging him. A f***ing schoolboy footballer knows you have to take man or ball ASAP on the counter attacking situation.

Originally Posted by dunk

Weirdly; the last 2 or 3 times he’s shovelled McT on it’s been as an advanced midfielder. Can’t understand why he didn’t do that today. He’s got a goal in him, can get about, is a nuisance and can drive forward with the ball, none of which Beek can do. Could switch with Eriksen when necessary too.

Exactly. I’d have gone for Fred but either better than Beek.

https://youtu.be/DKTlwU2HLQs

Originally Posted by armchair

https://youtu.be/DKTlwU2HLQs

He's spot on.

Far too often when they're desperate they resort to just slinging balls into the box.

Originally Posted by armchair

https://youtu.be/DKTlwU2HLQs

As much as it’s shit to lose, it’s nice to have a manager who doesn’t just shrug his shoulders. Pissed off and very clear that it isn’t good enough, acceptable and that standards must be upheld. I expect us to bounce back this week.

What I'd like is us to play villa in the cup without ronnie.

Originally Posted by armchair

What I'd like is us to play villa in the cup without ronnie.

Agreed but also without the words 'villa in the cup'

Main take away from today is how shit Steven Gerrard is as a manager that he couldn't get a tune of out these players.

We were four men down from the team that we've had working well for us, highlighting our lack of options of players who can slot into this system. Casemiro and Martinez have proved excellent buys and lead by example.

Too many not good enough players. Keep the faith with Ten Hag, though, his signings have overall been far better than previous. Ronaldo off the wage bill will free up a lot of cash. Saudi Arabia could do with stepping in again with a new offer in January.

Originally Posted by Zorg

Agreed but also without the words 'villa in the cup'

The day after: injuries + tiredness are partly genuine reasons for an excuse, while they plotted their cup final with new manager all week. Wish Erik had listened to moi and let the Sociedad game go by and prioritise this one. More worrying in the lingering fragility of them every time they’re a goal down

Reasons 2b cheerful: if we’d drawn this and drawn vs West Ham, which surprisingly didn’t happen = 2 pts

Beat West Ham + lose at Villa = 3 pts

Straw-clutching

We haven’t been anyones cup final for ten years all this “new manager bounce”, “They’ll play like 1970 Brazil” “X will have the game of his life” etc is just embarrassing. It’s ok to say we’re just not that good.

Originally Posted by believe

We haven’t been anyones cup final for ten years all this “new manager bounce”, “They’ll play like 1970 Brazil” “X will have the game of his life” etc is just embarrassing. It’s ok to say we’re just not that good.

Yep. Villa did nothing special. We gifted them two goals in 10 minutes through amateur defending and keeping and then made it worse by giving them a third just as we had the chance to get back into the game.

It's not the new manager. It's United. Been this way for years.

Originally Posted by armchair

Should've played Eriksen for Bruno and Fred beside Case.

Definito

Originally Posted by Sparky***

You don't need a midfield full of defensive minded cloggers like The Scottish Player in order to stop teams walking through you. You need positional and defensive discipline and for everyone to do their job. It's a tough ask to press as a team but if 2 or 3 players aren't doing it properly it f***s everything up.

Like in the first 5 mins when lindelof gets pulled up the pitch to virtually the halfway line and lets his man turn him easy leaving an acre of space in behind and de gea makes a piss poor attempt at a save.

Caught the highlights on MOTD. Lindelof for the first goal was genuinely jaw dropping. Not even kids defend like that. There's no excuse for what he did. Pitiful.

Then goldbridge says //lindelof at fault for no goals also why did taylor make the wall go back 12 yards for the freekick ffs

Originally Posted by Sparky***

You don't need a midfield full of defensive minded cloggers like The Scottish Player in order to stop teams walking through you. You need positional and defensive discipline and for everyone to do their job. It's a tough ask to press as a team but if 2 or 3 players aren't doing it properly it f***s everything up.

Like in the first 5 mins when lindelof gets pulled up the pitch to virtually the halfway line and lets his man turn him easy leaving an acre of space in behind and de gea makes a piss poor attempt at a save.

Well, Eriksen and Beek aren’t going to stop anything. Both amongst the worst players last night. Anyway, all hindsight.

Bruno gets a bit of stick for losing possession/wastefulness but at least he tries to make things happen and gees other players up. Missed him more than I thought we would.

Originally Posted by believe

We haven’t been anyones cup final for ten years all this “new manager bounce”, “They’ll play like 1970 Brazil” “X will have the game of his life” etc is just embarrassing. It’s ok to say we’re just not that good.

how about we're a work in progress (not very good) whilst they got a new manager bounce? They lost 4-0 last week having won 1 of their last 6 league games. NMB is a thing, but I know you're all about trying to be some kind of Marlo light these days so ill let it go.