Another international break has come and gone, and judging from Villa’s starting XI and bench, it seems to have come at a good time. A number of players have, one hopes, gotten over various knocks, or at least made reasonably decent progress.
For example, returning to action today at Craven Cottage are Jacob Ramsey and Amadou Onana. Ezri Konsa, Jaden Philogene and John McGinn all make the bench. Good news. But the big surprise is Boubacar Kamara. That’s obviously very good news, while also pointing to the long road faced by Tyrone Mings.
And really, apart from what we’d consider dropped points against Ipswich and probably a slightly disappointing draw against United, it was the piling up of injuries that was most concerning in the opening stretch. That none of them were particularly serious is a blessing, and let Villa get back to using their full squad relatively quickly. I’m sure we all had shades of foreboding after last year’s closing stretch with a threadbare squad.
Feel like I say this every time, but Fulham won’t be an easy day by any means. They’ve had a fine start and sit three behind us. Villa would dearly love to not only expand that gap, but keep pace with the top contenders. So. We’re back and fingers crossed.
Over to you.
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Not the start I was looking for.
Ha!
I’ll certainly take that.
Nice to see some pure jam going our way.
Emi, you beauty.
I couldn’t believe I didn’t see the ball in the net. Thought it was in for sure.
Thanks John. We are the better team. Raul’s route 1 goal was down to Pau. He was pushed aside too easily. Lucky with the leveller though, big deflection. How did Rogers miss his big chance?
Pissed off with the peno award. Cash was 12 inches away from a deflected ball FFS. The sort of thing we never get but Laandan clubs always do. Thank goodness for Emi.
Get in, Ollie!
That was a fabulous header, moving away from goal, the spin, reaction.
Satisfying red card!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Indeed. And with the third, apart from the peno call, the rub of the green has favored the better side.
The ref will be looking to send off a Villa player – just to look even handed. Hook Rogers.
Hook Digne – quick.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ha…called it, jbd. That was farcical. “Player mildly questions! That’s it, you’re off!”
Massive win. Not to be understated. Great header from Ollie. OG was icing on the cake. It needed Emi and a sending off to ensure the points.
The ref completely lost it towards the end. He started dishing out yellow card for every minor foul. So Bidace should have been more intelligent and realised the danger.
We made hard work of doing the simple things at the end. Cash especially got very lax.
What a difference a strong bench makes eh? Great to see some of players back on the pitch. Unai is enjoying his games against Fulham, think he’s won every one since he joined us.
Top weekend guys. The bar is open!!
Pour one out for me, Plug!
Yeah, Plug. Wasn’t easy and some credit to Fulham for that.
I’ve noticed that we generally lose a bit of cohesion with the ‘second-wave’ sub pattern. Probably not surprising. Duran just doesn’t work off the ball like Ollie does, makes it a little easier for teams to build, and we lose our shape a bit more. But it does pose different threats that we’ve been able to take advantage of.
Not to be negative, but Bailey really is struggling, sort of back to his headless worst. Not sure what’s going on in his head, but he’s got to just slow down and do simple things, build from there. That’s how he found himself last time. I was screaming for him to come off.
Cash gets a bit headless, too.
As digne says another one
Emery is indeed a magician, breaking all sorts of records,
This season every single mistake by an individual is being punished
Isn’t it wonderful we are 4th without hitting any kind of form,,for me tielmens and digne have been awesome so far,yet mcginn Bailey haven’t got going as yet,then look at today konsa matasen didn’t get a run out along with kamara and mings who didn’t even make the bench
Roll on Tuesday night champions league again it would be great to build on fantastic start
Quite right John, Bailey is struggling. Today we had so many possessions that broke down when the ball reached him. His control of the ball was lacking, he made aimless runs and seemed right off colour. Somethings not right with him.
Noticed that not only did Tyro not make the bench but neither did Ned. Silva says his side did not perform to their usual standards but in my book that’s down to the opposition. Unai really is Merlin.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who is still struggling to come to terms with the fact that we’ve been consistently one of the top 4 teams in the country for 2 years now. It’s surely not just because I’m a Brummie that I half expect the worst before every game?
I’m sure my sentiments must have shifted a bit over the past 2 years, as I do now accept that we at least have a ‘chance’ in every game, and that hasn’t always been the case over recent years.
When we’re right on our game, we can clearly beat anyone, but that still won’t mean on the next match day that I’m going to be expecting it!
I wonder if the time will come when Arteta starts to question whether their 3 sendings off this season stem from his teaching of the dark arts to his players? He has the spoilt brat attitude that he’s always being hard done by, but now they’ve been punished a few times for their cheating (I imagine that referees are actually looking out for it now, which won’t be helping them) perhaps he’ll feel he needs to change his approach before it costs them a title chance (if it hasn’t already)
It’s still sinking in that yesterday, we beat a very capable Fulham side, with a very competent manager despite having a bench including: Barkley, Buendia, Duran, Kamara, Konsa, Maatsen, McGinn and Philogene, with Mings also now available for selection.
Of course it’s helped hugely that several of those have recently returned form injury, but how much of our apparent strength in depth is due to us genuinely now having better players, and how much is it down to Emery bringing out their innate talents that previously lay hidden?
oh yes Plug, Ned was missing too. . . . that’s 10 outfield players!
JC, Bailey really does seem to be a confidence player doesn’t he. When he’s in the right frame of mind (or maybe, the right physical condition), he’s the Villa player that I most want to see on the ball. Right now, he’s just not there, but I imagine he must still be performing in training, or surely Emery would leave him out of the starting line up?
The big games will keep coming now and Tuesday is a real biggie. ‘If’ we could win that one (and no, I shan’t be expecting it) we’ll be on 9 points, which would give us a 69% chance of qualifying for the next stage, and only needing 1 more point to be virtually guaranteed to go further in the competition. There’s the small matter of an extra £2m prize money too, which would go someway to covering Duran’s new contract!
Still glowing in the aftermath of a fine win. It’s hard when you fall behind away from home (like Ipswich) so to take the points from Fulham who are a significantly better side than the tractor boys is most satisfying. It’s relaxing watching the other teams who played afterwards without any concern.
Thought Wolves got stiffed by VAR. Silva’s job at the corner was to push into the keeper and stop him from coming for the cross. Expertly done but clear obstruction and a foul. Lino flags for offside and ref disallows the goal. VAR gets involved and asks the ref to visit the screen as Silva is not in the keeper’s line of sight. VAR only shows this part to the ref and not the obstruction preceding it and so the ref overrules the offside and gives the goal. Citeh cheat on and off the pitch and get away with it.
Tuesday’s game is indeed a biggie R0bBo. It’s one we need to win and if we do, we’ll be on our way. Pretty sure the game will be tight and who knows what the refereeing is going to be like. But we have the tools to do it.
All the officials for the match including the VAR are Portuguese.
Plug, Maybe fans should take along “We Love Lisbon” and “The Algarve is Great” banners to the game to show the VAR officials our appreciation for them.
Seems Bologna haven’t had a great start to the season. They’ve only scored 9 goals in the last 11 games, but somehow seem to eke out a lot of low scoring draws. You can imagine that there’ll be a lot of passing just in front of their packed defence and we’re going to have to be extra wary of fast breaks.
Unai has been here 2 years this week. The club bears no resemblance to that which he took over. As for the future, he says he wants us to “break barriers” and head for the top on a consistent basis. He’s an elite coach. Who’d bet against him?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c8rdz1p5jlvt
Plug
2 years ago tonight gerards team made me seriously think about giving up on football,
1 hour later he is sacked ,owners bypassed purslow
2 years on we beat Munich at villa ,have a team that fear no one,a squad that tomorrow night emery has to choose does konsa get back in team,what 37m left back,can kamara beundi affect his team sheet never mind duran or even captain bravearse mcgimm
Thank god for emery
Ahhh JG, yes, it’s a good thing to keep reminding ourselves just how far we’ve come and just how quickly. . . . but also to recall how bad things have been for so long. You see fans of clubs like Man City and Chelsea believing that they are BIG clubs, because of the dirty money that has been pumped into them. (Go to a match at Stamford Bridge and you don’t come away thinking ‘big’ club by the way!)
At some point, their owners will lose interest and they’ll gradually slip back to their rather more humble, true status.
Right now, you imagine many fans are envious of us, but I like the fact that we’re still watching on, wide eyed with surprised excitement, rather than feeling ‘entitled’ to be where we are just now.
I see there are articles doing the rounds about Arsenal coming in for Jhon Duran. At least one of them starts by telling you why Arsenal have opened discussions and why they need him, only towards the end to say they can’t see it happening though.
You can’t help wondering ifnit isn’t just another ploy to try and unsettle the lad, now they’re looking over their shoulders at us.
That’s a nice article Plug.
I liked the bit where he says: ”
“I don’t want to waste my time here, that is my message,” said the former Arsenal boss.
“We want to achieve the objectives and one of them is to play in the Champions League. It is not about playing there only because of some circumstances – I want us to stay there for a long time.”
I particularly liked the last sentence where he says he wants “us” to stay there for a long time.
I so so want to believe he sees this as his BIG project and wants to take us to the top. . . . . .and then stay there.
As kick off approaches, the tension grows.
We now sense that we ‘can’ win but shall we.
Champion’s league atmosphere is likely to lift the players, but might it make us reckless?
Must admit, I’m nervous of breakaway goals tonight so will be on adge, even if we seem to be on top.
We drop cash digne ramsay and watkins and are we weaker
Martinez Konsa Carlos torres matasen mcginn onana tielmens Bailey Rogers duran
Bench olsen cash mings bogarde digne beundi kamara barclay ramsay bidace and watkins
unbelievable squad
Filling junior on bench for bologna
JG, on paper we’re weaker having left out those players, but on the actual pitch we’ve been scintilating at times.
It’s just that final cutting edge we’ve been missing and sadly, it still hasn’t quite clicked again for Bailey.
I thought Bailey actually started quite well but dropped after after a couple of the 50:50 refereeing decisions went against him. It seemed that the defender k ew the ref wasnt going to pull him up so he could get away with manhandling Bailey Aftwr that, Bailey’s confiidence ebbed away as he as he lost the belief that he could find a way past his defender, without help from the referee
Seeing more long kicks from martinez than might have been expected.
Not sure what the thought is. . . Duran to nod it on or down to a villa player?
Oh don’t spoil it now Jhon
The football is unreal
The subs my god
And we are 2 up mcginn duran
Off onana duran mcginn
On barclay watkins ramsay bidace
Matasen has been superb
We’ve gone off the boil
Nervous now
Bailey off too
Cameras have picked out the ex italian keeper
gianluca paliga a die hard villa fan
Robbo
You are getting hard to please subs disturb game
Haha. . .yes they can JG, I must be getting used to Emerys substitutions ‘improving’ how we play!
Think it must be first ,we have 12 players on the pitch
Filling junior makes villa park debut
Kamara has come on
I hope Duran is noticing how Teilemans reacted when substituted. . . That’s how you ‘should’ behave
Brilliant again
Only complaint, we should have scored at least 5
Robbo
Duran is just the bees knees,look at him celebrating out on field with rest of lads
Brilliant interview with tielmens, what a modest guy asked about duran,said he plays on it a bit,felt sort for ned sitting in front of duran on bench,loved onana reaching over to duran to
JG, yes, Teilemans spoke so well didn’t he.
My only worry now. . . The pundits are starting to notice us. . . I liked ‘below the radar’ 🙂
JG. . . I noticed that comment from Teilemans too. . . And as you said Duran was out there with the rest of the boys at the end. . . The little hissy from Duran may well have been a bit for the cameras
Everyone is now accepting that we have real strength in depth, but my memory is that the consensus at the start of the season was that after losing Luiz and Diaby the squad quality
was treading water at best.
The club has clearly done well with its recruitment policy, but surely most of the credit must go to Emery in the way he’s bringing the best out of nearly everyone, and clearly pushing them to do even better.
Must of course give credit to the players too. . . They’re listening, and must be working hard too!
Most would have agreed that martinez konsa torres tielmens mcginn Bailey and watkins were all 1st choice picks ,now not so sure
Carlos excellent tonight and what a pass to rogers,durans goals workrate are improving all time ramsay starting to look player of end of emery 1st season
JG, Carlos is a classic example of one of the players who has really stepped up and you’re right. . .I didn’t know he had incisive passes like that in his locker
Lots of good thoughts and observations. Out of it all, I find the ‘starting XI’ argument interesting. And that’s the beauty of what Emery’s done.
He does have a trusted set-up. And you have to have that. You might change out one or two for whatever reason, but you have to settle on a core and build that familiarity. Might change out a striker or a given midfielder.
What Emery’s doing is bringing on a second wave and letting them get familiar while trusting an established order to understand and execute the 60-70 minutes they’re charged with. Bit up and down, but that’s to be expected.
Jaden is making a claim to replace Bailey. Maatsen showed a lot of quality, worthy heir to Digne it looks like. But otherwise, I generally trust Emery’s basic set-up. He’s got XI who are well-drilled and know what to expect from each other.
Naturally the goal is too make everyone interchangeable in terms of quality and understanding of the system. Onana is the only new player to crack the XI, bringing qualities the side didn’t have.
Everyone else is being worked in slowly, which is an approach I like. Good rotation on the night, always with an eye on the next league game. This is how serious clubs approach things.
Ollie might not have been happy to lose the start to Duran, but one hopes he sees the bigger picture.
As for the game, I was annoyed with Bologna and the officiating (though he did hand out yellows). All the grabbing the CL allows in these stages just validates Burnley-level football. You get it, but this is the showcase, not League 1.
Anyway, thought we handled it, did well, and deserved the win. Who’d have thought 3 out 3 and no goals conceded.
JC, that’s a good observation about Onana being the only new player to be a regular starter. It shows even more starkly that unlike the dirty money clubs, our squad improvement has largely come about through developing what we already have, rather than trying to spend our way to success.
It’s been of necessity of course, because of FFP rules, although hopefully, City at least will one day get their comeuppance for cheating their way to the top.
JC, I have mixed feelings about the way last night was refereed. Yes, it did make for a free flowing, enjoyable game but as you say, it was also very irritating to see our players being manhandled with impunity. Bailey suffered most from this, and seemed unable to find a way past, once he knew that going to ground when he was fouled wasn’t going to sway the referee.
I did find their histrionics amusing when they felt that Konsa should have had a foul given against him before our first goal. He got the ball first, but more importantly, he was only at full stretch because he was being pulled back by another of their players. Served them right.
I’ve seen a fair bit of comment about the ground not being sold out last night and one, normally very reliable person saying “Sadly for how good we are on the pitch, we’re horrendous off the pitch with the decisions the club are making.”
That’s hyperbole of the highest order which does a real disservice to the club. Yes, we’re loving our progress on the pitch, but do you really think that the owners are purely in it for the love of football? Of course they’re not. They’re driven by creating a successful business, but happily, recognise that it will come through success on the pitch. Our income levels are rising fast and that is down to the management of the club ‘off’ the pitch as well as on it. With some tickets not being sold for a night like last night, the pricing does seem to be a bit out, but they will learn from that, and if it continues, they’ll have to adjust their expectations.
WE’VE GOT MCGINN…..SUPER JOHN MCGINN….. Momma mia, another glorious night under the lights at a raucous VP. Hearing “the Villa Boys from Aston” thundering down from all 4 stands is an indescribable experience.
We offered up a couple of chances to Bologna in the 1st half and again towards the end when we went into game management mode at 2-0 rather than kill them with a 3rd. Then again, we might have scored 5. The atmosphere was already crackling with electricity when SJM lit the blue touch paper and set off a seismic explosion. When it went to VAR I was 100% convinced we’d been cheated once more so once the goal was cleared I was shocked to be honest.
Then Big Jhon got in on the act and his goal was sublime. What a CF. He was hooked immediately afterwards but it must be said, the entire ground stood and applauded him off. We love him.
Comments above about Bailey are correct. He’s not himself, don’t know what the issue is. Bidace looked brighter and sharper when he replaced him but there was more room about once Bologna started chasing the game. Carlos had a great game. Nothing was getting past Emi. Maatsen was superb. Pau is a real baller. Rogers, well just fabulous. And Big Jhon scores goals. These UCL games are not easy but we’re making a real fist of it.
I didn’t think Bologna were anything special, just tidy. But I would give a shout out to their fans who came in their numbers and never stopped making a din, even after they fell behind.
With regards to the “gate”, VP was pretty much a full house with the exception of the premium seating which had plenty of empty seats. I’m sure Heck will revisit his actions at the end of the season once he has the entire big picture, if he doesn’t already. There is currently an over supply of premium/corporate seating.
It was also good to see Kamara on the pitch again. Not to mention Tyro exercising down the touchline. Last night’s result leaves us about 2 wins and a draw away from a last 16 place with 5 games to play. We may have already reached the play off matches.
We’ve also bagged 6 points towards England’s Club Association Coefficient which means the top 5 EPL places should yield Champions League places next year.
Then there’s the small matter of also bagging £5.4 million in prize money for the 3 wins. Oh, and we’re currently top of the European League.
Plug, it seems that Emery is keeping faith with Bailey to play himself into form, and at the start of last night, I thought it was working. it just seems that his confidence is very fragile just now, and maybe that’s part of the reason Emery is sticking with him, hoping it will soon click again, as it did last season. I imagine he must still be performing in training though, or Emery wouldn’t take the risk. You can’t help wondering if the time is coming for him to be brought on to exploit tired opposition legs towards the end of the game though, and build his confidence that way instead.
Plug, I’m reassured to hear that it was just the premium seats that weren’t sold out, as that’s not the impression I got from elsewhere (with axes to grind it seems)
The premium seating is expensive, but I had hoped to treat the family and we’d all gather from the different parts of the country. I then saw that you had to book the same number of tickets for 2 different games and at that point, the whole idea fell apart.
I’m not sure that there are too many corporate seats. . . .they just need to refine the proposition and or pricing.
r0bb0,
Yeah, the histrionics (exactly the right word) were amusing, the manager wryly conducting the rapturous Villans saluting SJM. Konsa would’ve been clear had he not been pulled back, and their player basically just clattered into Ezri. Ref at least got that part right.
And he wasn’t ‘terrible’, did give a yellow for accumulation, just seemed to be very uneven in allowing a lot of grabbing by defenders, and then punishing Duran for being physical in keeping the ball, for example.
Anyway, didn’t matter in the end, and there weren’t a lot of particularly dangerous fouls.
I do agree Emery’s trying to play Bailey into form, also agree with the idea that maybe it would be better to let Jaden start, and have Bailey come on later. We saw a lot of that before, and I think it helped. Guessing Unai’s also trying to spread the minutes.
I know it’s just part of his make-up, but Duran can’t be upset with coming off if he expects Ollie to not mind giving way. He started, he scored under the lights on the big stage. Everyone’s got to buy into the squad concept.
That said, he did seem to be working harder off the ball, which I was glad to see.
So you look at the Champions League table after Match Game 3 and see Villa sitting proudly at the top with maximum returns. You couldn’t dream this up. The squad’s confidence will be sky high.
I’ve seen some ongoing discussions about Villa’s pricing policy and off-field decision making. Some fans seem to have taken entrenched positions and are finding it increasingly closed off to rational discussion.
One of the key points is whether we should have gone ahead with the development of the North stand this season.
It must have been subject to much internal discussion and I can’t see how anyone outside the club feels that they know the definitive right answer to this.
One point that doesn’t seem to have been mentioned, is the ‘relative’ importance of additional exposure and income at ‘this’ stage of our drive to re-establish ourselves at the top table.
Who can say, for example, how important the support from all 4 corners of the ground has been in driving us to the top of the Champion’s league table. You only have to read Plug’s emotive postings following then games against Munich and Bologna to get a sense of the atmosphere within the ground. Would it have been the same without a North stand?
The additional income this season from having seats in all 4 stands, whilst not huge, will be disproportionately beneficial now, compared with future seasons.
And finally, from a fan perspective. . . what if this did turn out to be a one off (I’m sure this isn’t how the owners are thinking mind you). Isn’t as well that as many fans as possible were able to experience the games against Munich and Bologna (with 2 more similar nights to come hopefully!)
One other quick, personal thought about the pricing discussions.
I grew up in Birmingham.
I went to school within half a mile of Villa park.
My Dad used to coach the Villa youth teams
I used to take my son to Villa games (I feel guilty now that I didn’t take my daughter too!)
When the kids left home both my wife and I were season ticket holders for a decade, until we moved down to Devon.
Living in Devon, and the nature of my work, meant that it just wasn’t possible for us to continue to be season ticket holders . . . . . but that didn’t mean that we loved Villa any less than we had before.
We weren’t able to watch them often at Villa Park, and on a number of occasions when we wanted to go to games, we couldn’t get tickets. . . . .that doesn’t make us any less loyal as Villa fans.
Finally (and astonishingly) the club is back in the Champion’s league. I really hope that the whole family is at least able to at least get to experience one of the games at Villa park.
It’s likely that the only way we will be able to do this is by forking out a huge amount of money to buy hospitality tickets.
The pricing regime has made this difficult, and I think the club needs to refine the offer, and the fact that there were empty hospitality seats emphasises this point.
Am I screaming at the club that the executive need sacking. . . .am I going to protest that the club has abandoned loyal Villa fans? No I’m not. I love my club. I am desperate for them to carry on improving. I want them to learn from their mistakes, and I’m sure they will. . . .
. . . but. . . .I am as much a loyal Villa fan as those that are privileged to be able to hold season tickets and get to most of the games, and I want the chance to, once again, experience the excitement of seeing my team play, live in the stadium.
Probably the only way I’m going to be able to do that is by pricing being set at a level that doesn’t leave it being ‘only’ the usual season ticket holders and regular match day attendees that can get there.
The club hasn’t got then pricing quite right this time, but there is a case to be made for enabling fans like myself to get to see the occasional game, accepting that we will have to pay a large chunk of cash to the club to do so.
that chunk of cash seems to have been set at just too high a level this time.
The club will learn, and do you know what, despite the ridiculous prices, I am still thinking that I might ‘have’ to commit to paying them, to take the family, at least to one of the remaining home CL games. . . . .
I am that desperate to experience what Plug has!
It’s being reported that Manchester City’s next sponsorship deal with Etihad airlines will be for £900m over 10 years. Etihad airlines is owned by the Abu Dhabi government, of which Sheik Mansour (the owner of Manchester City) is deputy prime minister. . .and minister of the presidential court. . and chairman of the central bank, and chair of the emirates investment authority. . etc etc etc . . there are a LOT of etceteras)
Etihad’s CEO assures us that Etihad “doesn’t do any transactions with any partner that is not on market basis”
So that’s ok then!
Another fantastic week as a Villain,can emery keep this going,looking at the bench from last 2 matches there is no ceiling to how high we can soar,along with links to torres from Barcelona
Another great feature is age of squad really only super mcginn carlos and digne of starters are over30 ,yes martinez is too but Keepers can go on to late 30ts,Bournemouth on Saturday how many changes 3/4 digne ramsay and watkins for me,we will be able to put out some side for cup game with Palace cash might have to play in midfield to get a game
As for price of tickets,bologna game was coming up on travel company few weeks ago for little over 170 euro,celtic game is close to 4 hundred euro for me that is too much but they will sell
Ireland Rugby match v new Zealand members of local rugby club are paying 150 a seat
High prices are the way it’s going
JG, Yes ticket prices for all sports seem to be rising. I think it’s fair enough for fans to complain that they’re too expensive, but when the level of vitriol towards the club reaches the level it has in some quarters, then it’s clearly becoming over-emotional and risks harming the club. To my mind, if we’re able to sell all the ticket’s it’s also rather selfish of some fans who ‘do’ have first access to the tickets to say, carry on excluding other fans, but ‘I’ demand that you charge ‘me’ less than market value.
Where I think there should be most concern, is over ticket prices for Premier league games. These are the bread and butter of the club, and the area where I’d feel most uncomfortable about clubs exploiting their fans.
This year, our season ticket prices rose by 4.9%. Bearing in mind inflationary pressures that the club will have experienced over the previous 12 months, that probably wasn’t too far out of order.
There were 12 clubs that made higher percentage increases, but I don’t think there is a single club who’s fans saw a bigger increase in ‘joy’ from watching their team play.
Our cheapest season tickets are now 7.5% higher than the average lowest price for the league and there are 13 teams with lower prices.
At the other end of the scale, we are right in the middle when you compare the most expensive season ticket offering from each of the Premier league clubs, and we are actually slightly below average.
Bearing in mind, that we’ve been consistently one of the top 4 clubs for performances over the past 2 years, you could make a case that we’re under-pricing our season tickets, and the length of the waiting list would tend to confirm that.
When you come to the prices for cup games or other competitions such as the Champion’s league, then the arguments become even less clear, but I’m really not convinced that the existing season ticket holders should have a divine right to be able to snap up the tickets cheaply (based on what market could stand) every time.
No score half time,Rogers definitely should have scored, good saves from onana konsa and tielmens, mcginn did score but have to agree with var ball was out
Playing well,but Bournemouth have stopped us playing out to left side and as we all know our right side is no nearly as good
6 or 7 bookings so expect Bailey matasen duran and barclay shortly
Awful last 10 mins,lucky didn’t concede 2 penalties, gave away numerous free kicks and conceded equaliser duran didn’t pick up his man
Definitely 2 points dropped missed great chances
Side note 13 bookings and not really a bad tackle tempered game
Just to add we played very well up to last 10mins,they are decent side well managed
Travers had 1 of those days very good saves maybe 4 or 5,
Roll on Palace in the cup our bench need 90mins plus like ramsay mcginn need minutes
Gutted. I’m bereft of all feelings. Feels like I’ve been kicked in the nuts. We’ve just handed our nearest competitors at the top end 2 points each on a plate. With our compliments.
We had enough chances to win several games. Easily the best team but as the game wore on I started to have ominous thoughts. So relieved when Barks scored but Ollie kept hitting the keeper, Big Jhon missed a sitter and Rogers did too. If you don’t kill off the opposition it will come back and bite us. It set them up for an all out assault at the death. When the 6 minutes overtime board went up I was very fearful because by them we had lost all control of the game. Three times in those last 6 minutes we gave fouls away down their left. All within loading distance of our area. The first one, Emi gathered it at the 2nd attempt. The next one was a training ground routine which they couldn’t quite get on the end of. But the 3rd one was devasting. We don’t learn.
Kavanagh was dishing out cards like a bridge school. He needs to shove them where the sun doesn’t shine. Seemed like every foul was a card. So it proved to be exactly as I suspected it would turn out. A much tougher game than Bologna. The Cherries were very organised but did resort to trying to gain a penalty as they got desperate.
And so it didn’t turn out to be a perfect week. Almost but not quite.
Plug
In Europe rarely get more than 3 mins injury time today 4m in 1st 6 mins in second half
Plug
You mention our right side,it is a problem for emery,cash was lucky not to concede a penalty diving in rash and seems to have lost all his abilities going forward,mcginn is still a long way from hitting form stupid or lazy booking today,Bailey is a shadow of emery 1st 18months in charge nevertheless on a player consistingly going down hurt, bidace has injury hit stop start plus stupid red card last week
Watching el classics
Robert lewandowski has scored 2 in couple mins,overall poor game no needle either
Plug, you said that they tried to win penalties, and that’s certainly the case with Semenyo. I saw Alan Shearer last night saying that he thought it should have been a penalty because Cash didn’t touch the ball. That’s not the rule Alan. I suspect its because Shearer was an attacker that he feels that if an attacker is clever enough to trip himself, then he deserves a penalty.
I don’t understand why commentators are unable to see when a player drags his trailing leg and pushes it out sideways, in order to initiate a contact with the defender. Happily, yesterday’s referee was wise to it, and booked the right player. It was one of his justified bookings. . . . and you could see on the attackers face that he knew it.
I’m less clear on the one that touched Bailey’s arm. We’ve seen penalties given for less, although penalties for handballs are often total travesties this year. Let’s take yesterday’s, why should a team end up losing a whole game of 90 minutes of football, because a ball accidentally brushes a player’s arm, right out at the edge of the box, with little or no deflection, and conferring no advantage to the defending side?
The rules need reviewing . . . yet again. . . .its a tricky one
JG, just read your comment about Cash going in rashly. You have a point, in that Cash has some form for giving players the chance to create a penalty, and that’s how I saw yesterday. Hopefully the coaches will be working with him on that, because whether you see it as I do, or as Shearer did, there is no telling, which way a referee or VAR official will see it.
Time heals and I’ve recovered from Saturday’s result. Other results went our way so despite the 2 dropped points, we’re still 4th. Hope those 2 points don’t cost us down the line.
Shit and derision, the media are up in arms over the penalty awarded AGAINST Manure. I’ve seen quotes of “worst penalty decision ever” and “no way that’s a penalty”. I’ve got news for them. Watch a replay of the weasel at VP do a triple salco into Konsa back first and raking his studs down Konsa’s shin. Live by the sword and die by the sword comes to mind.
Seems all the Euro teams have struggled this weekend, even Citeh. The Spurs result was also a bonus. And maybe the Wai Ayes won’t be a danger this year. Dunno, difficult to tell after just a quarter of the season. But the current top 5 looks ominous and the coefficient looks good for an extra Champions League place as all of our teams are performing in Europe with the exception of Manure (again).
Well den haig has fallen too,utd have major problems his sacking going to be costly,
Martinez best in world again,
Gauci/olsen
Ned carlos mings matasen
Barclay kamara
Bailey beundi bidace
Duran
None of them started last match
Impressive squad never mind young lads
Kamara bit loose,Palace break and eze scores,poor marking
Duran equaliser, great ball from kamara
Half time all square
Mings has looked really good very sharp,kamara bar his early mistake has been excellent ,Duran has led the line
Bidace and beundi not impressing as yet
Never like losing and when we give goals away like tonight doesn’t help,Carlos at fault another shocking pass
Beundi and bidace really not involved at all
Out of cup we go
Positives
Mings kamara both played 90 mins and bar a slip by kamara for opening goal,both really good
Duran got his goal and played well
Kosta young fullback good game likes a tackle probably could do with loan spell in Jan
Negatives
Beundi awful with ball constantly turned over
Bidace wrong decision making constantly, mings balled him out at least once
Bailey got another assist but disappeared in 2nd half
Ref was atrocious Palace niggly fouls entire match let go
Palace are our next home game after international break expect different line up and result
The atmosphere was down on recent evenings at VP but not surprising given the missing crowd numbers and more familiar opponents. Ten changes made to the starting line up so it took a while for the team to find its gear. The bottom line is we are out of this particular cup.
But here’s the thing. We were the better team. They played a strong team. Injuries to Eze and Wharton will cost them against Wolves. Eze had the freedom of the Holte End for his header and Carlos played them in for the winner. Cut out the mistakes and we win it.
Agree with James comments about the various individual performances. Emi struggled. Bidace didn’t contribute much and Bailey despite his assist is also off form.
Great to see Tyro back on the pitch. Thought he looked a little slow and tentative to begin with but soon looked more like his old self. This is promising.
Kamara also looks like he’s getting up to speed again. What an addition he’s going to be. Ned has pace and energy to burn, Unai will certainly work out how to extract the maximum from him.
Overall, I’m disappointed we lost. Never enjoy that. However, I’m hoping we can get something from Spurs with so many players rested,
Martinez cash konsa torres digne onana tielmens mcginn ramsay Watkins and Rogers
T
Spurs laying siege
Onana hits post with header
Onana hits post with
Header
Rogers scores a tap in after a corner
Ref is poor nothing new
Watkins misses really good chance
Nearly half time
Mcginn is probably our worst player
Onana has been our best
Alan Smith on commentary is a knob
Spurs have us under cosh,
They equalise digne torres sleeping at back post
Ref still shocking, Rogers clearly fouled played on,no advantage just before goal
Cash and Rogers both off injured, tho Rogers wasn’t happy,Carlos and Duran on,going to be double figure injury time already
Spurs ahead
We have been awful 2nd half
We haven’t clicked this season too many having bad days,mcginn Watkins today
3 1 now another poor pass out from back
Bailey bidace kamara on
Off mcginn ramsay and tielmens
So another stick to beat emery with,rested team on Wednesday and don’t perform today a n
d as I write madison scores a 4th direct free kick
Roll on bruge what does emery do,nobody in 2nd halve have been good,subs haven’t improved us,ones played v Palace didn’t impress either
Well, that was dispiriting.
I thought we played well, were the better team, and deserved to be ahead in the first half, but we just didn’t match Spurs’ intensity in the second half.
We were punished for individual errors, and a few players were just off their best.
Torres had the worst half I’ve seen him play, Mcginn was t managing to protect the ball quite as well as we know he can, and Tielemans’ passing was ‘just fractionally’ off his best. Unfortunately, that fraction was making all the difference between us breaking through their back line, and us losing possession.
A day like today makes you feel grateful that we have Mings coming back but let’s hope that Rodger’s injury isn’t a bad one.
Flagging off emery and players on usual place,no word that we had to sell 2 major players last season along with not having money to get a rb,along with so many players having a bad spell at start of season after playing continuously since covid lock down
Worrying times for emery ,villa and Spain,it’s terrible what’s happening there with floods he lived and managed 2 clubs in main area,then villa it’s hard work nobody bar digne tielmens and Duran are top of there game,4 players coming back from long term injuries are only finding there feet in ramsay and kamara, beundi looks frankly and really poor option,then the big ones Bailey mcginn Watkins cash nowhere near last season form it’s not an easy or quick fix
For brugge,I would go
Martinez Konsa Carlos torres matasen onana kamara tielmens ramsay rogers and duran
Last few matches we haven’t passed the ball as well as we should have kept possession
JG, having seen your comment, I went and looked at the other site, and you’re right. . .there are some right silly comments.
I do dislike ‘entitled’ football fans, who seem to believe we should win every game, and every player should play to the top of their ability every game. We’re not the only fans who will be disappointed, and feel our team has underperformed this weekend.
Man City fans are in the unusual position of seeing their team knocked out of a cup and losing in the league to a team who were in the lower half of the table and won’t be enjoying it. Pep was complaining that they were unable to perform with so many injuries. I mean. . .it must be tough when you only have players like De Bruyne, Doku and Rico Lewis on your bench, and less than three quarters of a billion pounds worth of players on the pitch.
As for Arsenal, of course, it’s all down to the referees.
Things are pretty grim at Villa too. Having been relegation fodder a couple of seasons ago were now only 6th in the table, 2 whole points off being clear in third place, and leading the Champion’s league table. Yeah. . .it’s shit being a Villa fan.
Anyone’s giving torres stick should think again after yesterday, his birthplace flooded hundreds dead and he still played ,