After the 20 minute catastrophe at Leicester the week previous I wrote ‘nothing more than a full compliment of points (against the Albion) will do’ and here we are again. We took zilch.
It didn’t even feel like a derby. From minute one our near neighbours from B71 were all over us, high energy, wafting around the place like stray bags in a Tesco car park in the midst of a tornado. They wanted it more.
A vintage Pulis display. Nothing spectacular and not particularly stand-out. High energy and well organised. Sneak a goal and snuff out the opposition. We offered little.
The terraces were quiet. Voices nullified by the wringer that we were being put through out on the pitch. There was no sense of occasion and that lay firmly at the feet of the players, quite literally. It’s tit-for-tat – there’s only so much that we, the punters, can give until even we start not to believe. That performance was nothing short of a Lambert showing.
Was the booing justified? Whilst I don’t partake in the pantomime type jeering myself personally, I can sure as hell understand why fans stoop to what I perceive as the lower depths of voice frustration. Sherwood can continue to play the transitional card all he like but if our players can’t get up for a derby then they shouldn’t be playing professional football as far as I’m concerned.
It’s hard to stomach the same lyrics when you consider that the man who brought these players to the club doesn’t trust them enough to throw them all into the lions den after indifferent starts to their Villa careers. When you look at the names on our bench against the Baggies you don’t see any game changers, do you?
The two forwards who were brought in to replace the irreplaceable Benteke are just not up to it. First-up lets take opening day match winner Rudy Gestede, people may well talk up his goal scoring record from headers over the past couple of years but when you consider he’s a 6ft 3′ power house he doesn’t really appear to win many an aerial dual. And then there’s Jordan Ayew; the less said here the better. Serious strides will need to be made for him to turn things around and we’re not even in October yet. A combined £15m was spent on this pair and they can’t even make the starting XI. Rather alarming particularly as we could have quite easily snapped up Charlie Austin at that price.
Many fans have been saying that playing both Grealish and Gil is a major issue, too lightweight and what with a refusal to cover our full-backs. Dropping one of them is NOT the answer. Sanchez and Westwood, although both had a shocker at the weekend (and yet curiously gained a 7 mark in The Sun), are primarily there to provide that protection in front of the back four and fill-in if and when required when our full-backs get drawn wide into a chase or a challenge out on the flank. Neither are renown for going forward. By dropping one of our ‘flair’ players we’d be sending out the wrong message. By taking the game to the opponent and playing expansive football is how you tend to win football matches. There’s a time and a place (ie Leicester away when you’re 2-0 up with twenty to play) to add the steel. Sherwood’s in-game management still has many a question a mark over-hanging.
Having spent over £50 million in the summer on players that I was lead to believe would add a telling spark and move us away from yet another relegation battle it says a lot that despite only playing approximately 80 minutes of football this season that all I yearn for is a fully fit Adama Traore. I have never been the most patient.
Prior to the Albion game many Villans had gone on record to say The Blues clash was the priority this week but points on the board in the bread-and-butter monopoly of the Premier League will always be top billing for me no matter the opposite number in the cup. Granted – defeat tonight in front of the Sky cameras would be distressing to say the very least, unthinkable perhaps, but if you offered me three points now at Anfield come the weekend in exchange then I, begrudgingly, would take it. Living safe in the knowledge that we will always be bigger and better than the Noses.
Win them both and all is forgiven. That’s the fickleness of football right there.
Up The Villa!
The Author
Ryan Pitcher
Windsor based, Lincoln born Holte End STH. Occasional writer when finding time away from the office. Eat, sleep and drink football. @RyanPitcher on Twitter.Comments 22
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Ryan – an excellent article perfectly summing up the situation. I would like to add that I share your sentiment, I yearn for Traore as he will prove to be the attacking spark we need, we also need Gana back in the team, he will be the engine of this side.
Sherwood has purchased some young quality footballers – Gana, Traore and Amavi, but is already obvious that we have not replaced the goals of Benteke. I always thought the Ayew purchase was strange given his price tag. Gestede wil score if you put the ball on his head from 6 yards out.
Not all players work out at football club, that is a fact. But it looks like we need another forward and we are going to have to wait until January. Hopefully Kosak will be given his chance. He really couldn’t do any worse than the current forward options who are above him in the pecking order. I am not sure how Tim has reached the conclusion that Ayew is ahead of Kosak?
Ryan, a good article (thank you!) but I do have to both agree and disagree with you about your deduction that Sanchez and Westwood are supposed to cover for G & G.
The point is surely, though, that that cover is not substantial enough. If Gueye was in the team there might be enough strength in the cover department, but last week and against Albyun it wasn’t.
Therefore playing both G & G *is* a luxury given that situation. Though Veretout is not (yet) a game changer (as you say) he does possess that extra wiriness that Villa need in midfield while Gueye is out.
I’m afraid I would have dropped Grealish for this one having shown so many frailties last week.
As I keep on saying, Grealish can only succeed at this stage in his development when he has a strong team around him. Even Gabby got more votes on Vital Villa than Grealish.
Great *future* talent, yes.
Having watched the game i thought grealish was a disgrace. Here we are as fans pining everything on this guy because he is one of our own….but in a massive game against the baggies he did not even break sweat. wtf. Its just unforgivable.
Here is why we are going down. Out of the last 73 home games we have amassed……71 points. 219 points and we get 71!! Its a disgrace.
I think this year will be the year we drop because it’s such a competitive league. I think it will be back up near the 40 point mark to survive.
The bookies have us 2nd favs to go down.
I took a look at our fixtures up till dec and it’s not great reading. Very difficult to see where we are going to get the points from.
We all ready becoming adrift of the top half of the league.
How long do we show patience. Trying to look at it from a neatral view….Tim is 52 i think now? And why is he only just in the management game now? He has little experience and apart from the fact that he comes across well is there any depth to him? Are we showing blind faith and backing someone who is out there depth? Bloody Watford made more signings than us AND have just come up but look alot better and more of unit than us?
I have a sneaky feeling this new sporting director might influence fox if at christmas we are struggling. There is simply too much money involved next season.
Yeah, good article tonight.
I agree with JL. JG needs to try a bit harder at times. No doubt about the talent.
I’ve been quite positive to date in relation to the team, the influx of more technically proficient players and some of the deadwood leaving under TS’ first transfer window has been beneficial.
Unfortunately, I’m growing more and more concerned that I’m going to be left with the hope that the issue is ‘the players need time to gel’ and that will run out by December. Having watched the extended highlights of the WBA game on Sky, one of the big problems was the lack of passion, there didn’t seem to be any game defining moment that said we wanted it more than WBA.
I don’t get why the team is so fearful in front of their own fans, everyone is willing the ball into the net and just need to see commitment/fight and a degree of skill. The WBA game showed none of this and I’ve already written off tomorrow’s game against what will be an equally well organised BCFC team.
I’m concerned that Grealish is buying his own press and suggesting that flair is all he needs to be successful, last year he was a luxury in a side fighting relegation but he’ll need to start tracking, putting tackles in and earn the right to play if he’s too become a contributor to Villa’s potential this season.
We are at least only losing by a single goal, it suggests to me that the issue is Villa are way too predictable in attack, lacking any ideas on how to unlock defences, this is a worry as we don’t have anyone clever enough upfront to find space and shoot. It absolutely has to be time for Kozak to come in, obviously I’m not at the training ground but Ayew is lacking confidence and already in his brother’s shadow, Gestede looks like a one-nil down man, i.e. comes on as a sub to salvage a point, Sinclair showed good movement in the box but is not a striker, Gabby is not a striker so we don’t have options.
Gana flown back to France to sort out his Hammy. Wont be seeing him for a while.
Adama in light training may be back on bench sat
Lookout for the story’s coming out about Gabby who has been caught with his trousers down behind his Mrs back. Mr Aston Villa is back to be being Mr Luvva luvva 😉
like this no wonder he’s slowed down
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/465936/Gabby-Agbonlahor-lover-Portia-Smith-Aston-Villa
Probably media gossip, but if he doesn’t see his life as being in Brum, perhaps the club could help by sending him elsewhere 🙂
trinity- can you blame him he bumps into an ex at every corner.
For one moment I thought the Argies were going to cause an upset yesterday mate. missed the Japan game and was the most flabbergasted I’ve been since gabby last scored when my mrs told me the result brilliant.
I cannot fathom the thinking of Sherwood sometimes, it is now a strong recurring theme of replacing players that seem to be doing well. You can only get away with doing that if results then go your way. At Palace, Leicester and against WBA it’s not happened.
So we know we like to pass sideways and backwards on the pitch but that to me is Villa in a nutshell. We’ve gone sideways not forward under Sherwood. We are still struggling to score, we play turgid football at home, have a leaky defence, we float long balls up to target men and we’re at the foot of the table. Sound familiar?
I really want Sherwood to turn it around but he’s going to need to show signs of improvement soon to keep fans on side. Do we have any matches coming up that could galvanise the support? Ah yes the small Heath circus is coming over our side of town tomorrow where unless there is a massive change of thought, tactics and effort, blues will turn us over, and we will never hear the end of it.
Rowett has the vermin playing well, they are organised , well drilled and playing full of confidence with players in their proper and best positions.
Sherwood seems to throw all the same 18 names in hat and just picked out 11 and some subs.
I really fear another Derby day defeat and yet more piss taking( today was murder working in West Brom)
Mark-the ABs had to grind out that win, though Argentina were under the pump with 20 to go. Argentina played winning rugby for most of the match. They’ll beat anyone on the day.
I couldn’t believe Japan beat South Africa, thought there must be some corruption involved, but after watching a replay, Japan deserved to win. It really is a world cup. I think that South Africa will be more dangerous for the loss. France looked good against Italy.
Trin- yes I was surprised by France could be surprise package among the fancied sides. Whats the chance Japan will top the group and who gets them if they do? Glad to see Wales dropping like flys.
B62- seems to me the injuries seem never ending too, that’s gone on under the last few managers. the fact Gana has gone home for treatment doesn’t give me much faith in BMH
Trin- and if Fiji play like they did against us they will hurt sides literally, so happy we got through unscathed I could feel the tackles from my settee 🙂
Well I have watched the entire WBA game on a wonderful program called Kodi. look it up, you will find plenty of tutorials on line how to get sky sport, movies etc, I’ll say no more.
My thoughts on the game. The entire team looked sluggish, the play and passing lacked any zip and players made little movement to support the player on the ball. Why grealish has got hammered I don’t understand as he created more than anyone but had next to zero other than Gil to work with.
Kevin Phillips said after the Leicester game that villa don’t look fit? Are they possibly over-trained as I’ve suggested before? or could it be the mystery virus that struck a few weeks back is still in their systems? whatever it is this is not a team that looks capable of being up for anything.
First half we played balls in the air to gabby who never once tried to get in front of his man and lets face it headings not his game, second half we put on Gestede and put in no crosses worthy of note baffling.
We seemed to be playing a 41122 formation??? against 5 in WBA midfield. Westwood and Sanchez play like strangers ! no runs from midfield into the box and no movement and no width up top at all for Gil and Grealish to pass to.
Hutton seemed to be the attacking fullback while Amavi defended for most of the match?? at times Amavi played sweeper!!!!
I have to say if berahino hadn’t touched that shot it would of stayed 0-0, all shots (wba having the better ones or at least hit harder) were straight at the keeper from both sides. As much as it was a shit game I have to say it was a non-event. Adama would of made a huge difference to this game and I’m surprised Grealish isn’t instructed to run at the defence when they sit as WBA did. Gana would also of been an improvement, pray he gets fit soon along with GG because Westwood is not the answer in this team.
Morning all – and excellent article Ryan – I couldn’t agree more with every point you made. The optimism is draining away not only with the fans but with Tim Sherwood and that frightens me the most . From his AV is a club who won’t be fighting relegation with me to “reason” no 1 in the managers book of press cliches “we are in transition ” I hope he gets his “attitude” back soon as he is cutting a diminutive figure right now .
Tonight is our night – we CAN beat SHA and we will . Please come out fighting from the first minute and get at them – we have to get the villa fans roaring .
Have been catching up from my flu episode but thought Texas post together with Ryan’s article sums up our current situation TIm is saying we are an attacking team but we don’t have any decent strikers – it really is that simple .
So I expect Kozak to be starting tonight – and grab your chance my darling – score in front of the Holte against the blues and no manager will be able to leave you out!
Time for Gabby to have his game of the season too – I am gojng for a Villa win 4-1 Gabby 2 Kozak and Sinclair to score .
Hope the steamers have a great time at VP – behave – and get home in one piece !
Where is Runtingz ??
Tim says “it’s going to be an up-and-down season”.
http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2015/09/21/tim-sherwood-believes-aston-villa-will-have-an-up-and-down-seaso/
Yes he did John
But I like the fighting talk
“I relish matches like Birmingham. It’s an opportunity to send our fans home happy.
“They haven’t felt that for a period of time so we are looking to be able to do that.”
Just not confident about tonight, I see SHA as being heavily organised and us not being clever enough to break them down. It may be reverse psychology and if we do win, i’ll enjoy it even more but the cider is in the fridge and i’m racing out of work to claim my seat in front of the telly.
Come on Villa
got to put aside my worries about relegation. This is just a one off game against the enemy. good luck villa.
Really good piece Ryan.
For me the problem is Sherwood. I agree the players don’t give there all but in Sherwood we have a manager so naive we’ll still be in ‘transition’ when were relegated come May. For me my confidence in Sherwood left me in the Southampton and Burnley games last season. As soon as his all out attacking to Benteke was found out we didn’t get a look in… And here’s the thing… Except for the Sunderland we have deserved to lose every game played so far, as that includes the Bournemouth game. From his substitutions to his purchases to his match day starting elevens he has shown me nothing that tells me he will do nothing but get us relegated.
Personally I have given up with Villa now. Too many important things in life to worry a bout a team that constantly fails and doesn’t even have the heart to try fighting anymore. It tells you something when, having to pick a game for my accumulator at the weekend, I chose WBA to beat us… I was never going to lose on that game.
Anyway it would be nice to beat The Blues but can see us not doing. The one thing is for certain is I won’t be wasting any more time watching Villa play again.