Firstly, my apologies for not getting a piece up on Monday – it was my first day back at work and I had only managed two hours sleep so wasn’t able to get something sorted.
Anyway, getting back to the point – Aston Villa – I wanted to look back at the loss against Arsenal. In less than four minutes, Villa were undone. For some, the feeling was that we gave up, hesitant to even get back in the game as though we were content with losing.
True, the second half was less than inspiring, but stories of a virus affecting multiple players would account for a lack of energy as the game wore on. In between the goals – in less than 240 seconds – Villa tried to strike back instantly only to fall foul of counter attacks.
The problem Villa had as they pushed forwards – seemingly in a disorganised manner – was that Arsenal has a fantastic midfield. Looking at the five they had – Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Santi Cazorla, Mikel Arteta, Aaron Ramsey, and Mesut Ozil – there was a wall of flair that Villa had no answer for.
Yes, Villa could have attacked more in the second half, but their retreat – or at least reorganisation – following a few moments of madness, was wholly unexpected and sensible. After all, when managing a team who have let in three goals, taking stock makes sense.
Some will point at the Leicester City result as evidence that fighting back can get you the points, but Leicester had only conceded two when they got one back – looking at Villa’s attacks, they were still trying to get a punch in only to fall under a flurry of goals.
So, when you’ve lost three goals in four minutes, what do you do? Keep on attacking but risk countering? Or try and stop the leaks?
What Villa risked, at least in the immediate aftermath of those goals, was to end up four, five or six goals down. Some will say once you’ve lost who cares, but how many placings have been based on goal difference, from relegations to championships? Nobody like losing, but nobody wants to end up hammered either.
Against Arsenal – arguably one of the best passing teams in the league – Villa faced a challenge too hard. The Villans, without their customary effort levels, were nothing short of second best, and playing a far more technical team when your own secret weapon is muted or absent – the secret weapon being their work ethic, rather than the more obvious choices of Christian Benteke and Ron Vlaar.
Looking back, there’s no real individual to single out. Ciaran Clark was sloppy for two of the goals, but it would be unfair to judge him when the team as a whole lacked the ability to take things to the opposition. Tom Cleverley made some good moves and his positioning illustrated the difference between a player who had made it to Manchester United and players who’ve been plucked from League One or League Two.
Carlos Sanchez also looked like he had been thrown in the deep end starting which, given his last minute addition, he had. Would Ashley Westwood have done better? Perhaps if he had been fully fit, but his absence told its own story, and Villa fans are unable to know.
Can Villa turn things round against Chelsea? The truth is that it will be a big challenge, and at a ground where the Villans have been previously savaged. If Diego Costa gets into his stride – which he had in games before this weekend – I fear for the defence unless Ron Vlaar or Jores Okore can partner Phillippe Senderos.
If Villa can snatch something, and a point would be an achievement, there’s the potential to build on a solid start. Ten points and a loss may seem bad to some, but the truth is it is a quarter of the way to safety and, for a club like Villa, getting there would be a good first step on the road to progress.
The Author
Matt Turvey
Matt is the owner of, and chief writer for, Aston Villa Life. He is also a columnist for the Wolverhampton Express & Star, appearing in the Kick Off pullout on Saturdays and the Final Whistle pullout the Monday after Aston Villa play, as well as every Thursday as a blogger on their website. He has previously been featured as a writer on Football365 and Life's A Pitch, and was a regular pundit for Sports Tonight TV on Sky.Comments 21
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Matt,
The Arsenal game is best just to be put behind us i.m.o.
The defeat hurts, but owing to the state of several Villa players it was virtually game over once they scored their first as I see it. If that Clark header had been better placed then it might have been a different story with Villa’s spirits raised, but if they were so under the weather then they would have found it difficult to keep their lead anyway.
Sanchez has been the biggest disappointment so far. Granted he must be finding his legs in the PL, but its a defensive midfielder who can break up play against teams like Arsenal and Chelsea. Hope we can manage a point at Chelsea.
morning matt
I was wondering what would happen if this team went behind and the answer was
clear to see, instead of working our way back in we went off trying to hit back immediately where a more measured approach would of been more sensible.
the Illness in my opinion was a factor how much no-one can really know but as I stated in a previous post adrenaline will only get you so far then you crash.
the timing of the goal around thirty minutes in would be about right. for all us who have played the game we know that when a goal goes in especially when you are doing ok it gives players a bit of a wobble, messrs lambert and keane need to sort that pronto and i’m surprised senderos wasn’t more vocal in calming them down. but following the adrenaline hypothesis it makes sense both physically and mentally, fever,virus’s and exercise all fatigue the adrenals.
http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/what-is-adrenal-fatigue
up until their goal I thought it was even stevens with us having the better chances, the second half was sensible in my opinion and i’m sure they would of given arsenal the points and gone home to bed to get ready for chelsea at half time rather than knacker themselves further. arsenal also thought the same after their midweek game. its a shame as I think with a full strength team firing on all cylinders we would of given them a proper game
villalore- I agree on Sanchez but that was a hell of a game and situation for him to make his league debut .
I see the Vlaar rumours have started again
We are definitely a team that thrives on scoring first, allowing to sit back, soak up pressure and counter-attack. Unfortunately, a few minutes of madness put us on the back foot and the game was lost and the second half was damage limitation for us and player preservation for them.
Still extremely happy with the points on the board after 5 games, playing top sides so early in the season gives us a chance to get those games out of the way and go on another decent run, despite surprising a few of the big teams last season, progression can only be marked by table position as we can’t compete with the top.
If we can at least go out and play against Chelsea and Man City then i’ll be happier even if the results go against us.
UTV
I think it’s champ league again next mid week. Nice time to play chelsea and city if there is one!
Vlaar will be going imo…..lets get Delph & Grealish signed up though.
as far as vlar goes how many matches has he missed since he signed,errors in others.no club camein for him with his injury record and age not worth transfer fee and big wage its only villa that does them stupid things,joe cole getting a wage for one,
Matt i agree with your assesment of things duing the gooners game
I do risk repeating myself but with the type of football we play it would be very difficult to chase the game against the gooners as the would just pick us apart everytime we give the ball back to them
The gooner don’t like it up um thou so my tactic would be just to go for it against them and try any and everything to get shots off on them
chelski is a game we don’t really have a right to win when you think we would buy our squad 15times over with what they have paid for most individuals at there club
We have done well in most of the games against them strangly and it was villa that put the final nail in jose’s coffin when he was last in charge of chelski – so you never know -its a funny old game
James
I forgot about Joe Cole!
Why is clarke starting over Okore?
Guzan
Hutton Vlaar Okore Cissoko
Nzog Cleverly sanchez Delph Grealish
Benteke
Thats my eventual team with the style of keeping the ball
Runtings
We have had many a good result at the Bridge…we can be chelseas hoodo team.
Man Utd & Arsenal at home are the games we will never win.
runtingz- you’re right but unfortunately we couldn’t get at them in numbers as we normally do, maybe they sat off a little as a tactic to counter us. playing the way we do we have to move as a unit, for whatever reason be it sanchez’s introduction or a general lack of cohesion on the day. tekkers would of made a big difference in this one in general ball retention and aerial threat.
If we are all fit I think a draws a possibility on the weekend. chelsea have been scoring plenty of goals but have conceded too. but turn up as we did saturday half cocked we’ll get rolled
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-fans-accost-public-7818824?
are chelsea still in the capital one cup?
arse down 2-1 to southampton
yes they are mark they are at home to bolton tomorrow, thanks mark
http://www.myoldmansaid.com/jack-grealish-aston-villa-balance-first-team/
Excellent piece on Grealish Mark.
Would love to see him properly utilised.
Wonder how many fit players we will have available on Saturday.
as usual nothing coming out of villa park Paul, but they’re hardly going to tell chelsea anyhow. it wouldn’t be the worst game to play him in as his potential to draw fouls would be a big asset especially if a few get yellows. really hope westwoods fit he was a big miss. if weimanns still ill go with grealish
God morning Matt,
Absolultely agree with your reasoning on the Arsenal game. Sorry to use Fergie again, but I mentioned after the game that his biggest gripe when Man U lost 6-2 to Man CIty was that his players didn’t go the damage limitation route and shut up shop. The other thing Fergie used to remind his players about was goal difference and shipping in 8 like we did at Chelsea may have been significant – though not for letting the title slip but saving us from the bottom !.
Watched 20 funniest football moments last night – we came in at no 15 for the Helenius Vertongen shorts pull down – I hadn’t seen it from such close range before – the most amusing thing is that pool Helenius is standing there with white Y fronts fully exposed and shorts round his knees – (and it took a while for him to pull them up – maybe he thought the longer he stayed standing tall in his Y fronts the more likely he was of getting a pen – and the Villa fans are behind him – immune to the bizarre hilarity – their gripe being that we should have got a penalty 🙂 (Which of course we should have ) The shock horror on Helenius’s face – no wonder he never played for us again – I should think he was psychologically disturbed for life 🙂 But what a pro – took the shot on goal with shorts round his knees – fully exposed. It should have been no 1.
At no 14 was , you’ve guessed Roy Keane. Nearly as funny – was his press conference when the journo’s phone goes off …full death stare “whose phone was that ” silence ….black look ……. “whose phone was that” continued red mist stare —– silence —–everyone holding their breath ………. then phone goes off again and RK more pissed off “its gone off again ” obviously the journo has to admit now “are you going to turn it off ” blacker stare and then atmosphere you could cut with ice “no I’m not – Im just going to let it ring out ” hahahahaha “well thats damn rude” RK If only he could do the press conferences – no more “we were brilliant” but “what you looking at ” 🙂
Most painful to watch was John Walters against Chelsea – two own goals (one headed in from corner which was a cracker) and then a penalty shot over the woodwork. So if Ally Sisokho is feeling embarrassed after Saturday – I recommend he watches this on I player – as that has to be the worst day at the office in football history. 🙂
Biggest surprise team apart from us is Southampton. Selling their best players , losing their manager (who seems to have inherited the spurs managerial curse :-)) and the pundits had them to go down. Amazing.
Another article is up for you to dwell on … Guess by who! 😉