Aston Villa 3 Liverpool 3 (May 13 2024)

I thought we were clearly onside in the second goal. The Villa defender in the middle looked to be the last man to me.

It's so weird watching us, we are capable of glorious moments including the Gakpo goal after brilliant pass selection and movement yet the number of missed opportunities through terrible pass selection and movement is ridiculous, I swear we are the league leaders by miles in butchering open goals. 

But our real problem is we are not compact in defending as a team, just watch how often we let teams play through us or how susceptible we are to a cutback from the buy line. 

That's about coaching and structure, not so much as personnel. Attack as a team and defend as a team. 

59 minutes ago, Anubis said:

I thought we were clearly onside in the second goal. The Villa defender in the middle looked to be the last man to me.

I was fully expecting that to be ruled out. Especially as it took ages.

16 minutes ago, beejay said:

That's about coaching and structure, not so much as personnel.

I said this on the pod last night. I don't think we can write any of these players off until we see them in the new set up. Some may look worse, but others might thrive. The example I gave was Leverkusen. It isn't always about having the best players, especially in the modern game. Coaching and tactics are way more important than they've ever been. 

The amount of butchering 3 or 4 or 5 on one attacks we have had this year suggests that our coaching could defo be improved upon, because that is all about coaching and getting players accustomed to each other. At times we have looked like 5 year olds down in the park in both attack and defense. 

What's this 'new' offside rule next season? I thought they were simply bringing in the automated VAR offside system that UEFA uses. My own person view is to use the players' feet as the key, not all this top-part-of-the-sleeve, tip-of-the-toe/nose/cock that needlessly complicates things.

Oh, and I forgot to mention it in the match thread, but who was that aging rocker on the Villa bench? I don't think it was Gareth Ainsworth as I'm sure he's still managing in the lower leagues, but it looked a bit like him. Actually, I'm not sure it's so much aging 'rocker' as it is aging 'Rocker' Shawn Michaels.

Annoying little fat cunt in his dripping wet shirt and his Mr Potato Head face that looks like it's been made up of other people's features. Just fuck off.

Comedy gold mate. I particularly liked his impression of a Casualty extra when he went down and couldn't breathe. Fuckin hell, he milked that challenge. I feared for his life.

12 hours ago, dave u said:

 

I said this on the pod last night. I don't think we can write any of these players off until we see them in the new set up. Some may look worse, but others might thrive. The example I gave was Leverkusen. It isn't always about having the best players, especially in the modern game. Coaching and tactics are way more important than they've ever been. 

I can’t see us being as gung ho under Slot , might not be a bad thing.

The subs thing just drives me mad. I thought we were OK, then he does the subs and we immediately go to shit. And he'll do it again on Sunday. If the 11 on the field are doing alright leave them where they are.

I’m finding it difficult to care right now. Just wanna get Sunday over and move on. 

11 hours ago, Trumo said:

What's this 'new' offside rule next season?

The whole of the attacker's body has to be clear of the last defender in order for it to be offside.

Two ofVilla’s goals the scorer was off side earlier in the move; when did that rule cease to exist? 

12 hours ago, Trumo said:

Oh, and I forgot to mention it in the match thread, but who was that aging rocker on the Villa bench? I don't think it was Gareth Ainsworth as I'm sure he's still managing in the lower leagues, but it looked a bit like him. Actually, I'm not sure it's so much aging 'rocker' as it is aging 'Rocker' Shawn Michaels.

Without bothering to check, he looked very Scandi to me. More like Edge than Shawn Michaels though. 

1 hour ago, Total Longo said:

 

Without bothering to check, he looked very Scandi to me. More like Edge than Shawn Michaels though. 

It's a geezer called Austin MacPhee, Dean Smith took him to Villa, and Gerrard and Emery have kept him on.

Is he Shuey's lad ?

Kavanagh back in your good books then Dave? Thought he’d lost “my boy” status - or is “my guy” an interim measure?

I thought we looked alright as well. We were moving the ball quickly and doing okay against their press. We did looked a bit slow off the ball and were a bit late to press but it could be tired legs or the opposition being more motivated.

The thing that pissed me off was how we just gifted them chances and kept handing them back possession outside our box. Its a massive weakness, we're not really crisp enough with our passing to be playing these stupid one twos out of trouble when the other side are parked in our half and pressing in numbers, there's also never a man available in the middle to get us out and back on the counter so every pass is only a few yards up the pitch.

We need to be careful to throw everyone under the bus. Said a few weeks ago resigned myself to a weak end. The stats for the PL tell us that we got 23 points 1st 10 games

22 second lot of 10 games 25 third batch of 10 and (assuming we beat Wolves) 12 in the last 8. We know what went wrong, we have seen all season, 9 clean sheets... we know with our eyes..

Then we look at them individually, VVD back to his best, Gomez been brilliant Quansah what a find, Trent not great but like others been injured, Macca pretty poor at 6 but at 8... Endo is a warrior and was brilliant, Curtis we miss his control, the people want to sell him...Mo flashes, injured,  shit.

Everyone has been OK generally, loads of adversity, decisions, Klopp going,  injuries, kidnapping. This is a new young team finding it's way. Transition means be patient...

For me the crass openness we have is a tactic and structure issue. Fab, Hendo and Gini were perfect with VVD Joel and the red arrows with the best 2 full backs in the world. Then Klopp wanted more control of the games, but did not change the structure other than the inverted full back. These new lads need a change of system and highlights how fuckin superb the PL/CL winners were.

So a change of coach, style and a squad of really talented players That somehow after 30 games had the title in their own hands in their 1st season is something to be excited about. 

Remember last season, some have very short memories. Over to you Arne, don't let us down 

A fucking huge issue is the concentration levels of the players. It seems to peak and drop off in bursts. A nice 5 minutes here, then a drop off. Obviously momentum shifts in football but it's more how lapses in concentration happen and we lose shape or one player doesn't cover a space or pick up a runner etc.

Said to my young fella when the subs were being made that it was going to end up either 5-1 or 3-3 (shakes head),this fucking team.

I’ve only watched Villa play 90 minutes twice and I’m very confused that they’ve done so well this season.
 

Managing to keep sheets against City and Arsenal seems barely plausible with their high line.  A proper team would have had them for 5 or 6 on Monday.

17 hours ago, dave u said:

 

I was fully expecting that to be ruled out. Especially as it took ages.

It feels a weird thing to say but it's possible other data nerds etc at other clubs have long found ways to adapt to how we play. You also never know when things have moved on tactically or a new way of playing doesn't work out because other teams find a way to exploit what you're doing etc.

There probably are patterns to where we conced or waste opportunities to either score/create better quality chances. I'm hoping a new approach will give us more balance because it does appear this chaos is now hurting us more than it does other teams.

One other thing and on Klopp really, ad you mentioned the multi sub thing is one but the other is, that match was a near replica of the cup tie at OT. We are in control its getting late we are strutting around passing to each other, have it in opposition half then 10 secs later its at our Keepers feet, the opposition are camped in their own half then they think fuck this, get after us and we shit the bed, only the Ali save got us a point. This is what I mean about the structure we are not set up for that, Arseholes and the 115ers are. We, no shit Sherlock,  need a new identity and one that suits the players, but we don't do great strutting!

One of the issues about late goals getting points for us, making life hard, games on edge. Did a bit of digging, hope this is right because it doesn't for me reflect what I thought.

We scored plenty of what I call "settlers" that second or third to kill the game but actual game winning/saving goals in last 10 mins 

Only 8 games in all, 7 away  Fulham Home.

Of the 7 away 4 wins and 3 draws.

Wins Newcastle Wolves Palace Forest

Draws 115ers Luton and Man U.

Games have been tight but only 8 from 37 really last minute. Issue for me is the opposition are broadly shite! City draw and Newcastle win were decent but the rest..   Key is these youngsters learn but keep that mentality to go to the end. Thought worth a note (maybe not)

5 hours ago, Kevin D said:

I’ve only watched Villa play 90 minutes twice and I’m very confused that they’ve done so well this season.
 

Managing to keep sheets against City and Arsenal seems barely plausible with their high line.  A proper team would have had them for 5 or 6 on Monday.

This is why I kept saying earlier in the season that West Ham would finish above them. Obviously I was way off, but it's the eye test. I watch Villa and just can't fathom how they're not getting torn apart all the time.