I regretted the lack of VAR too, but if it's going to be used for a second yellow it has to be used for the first yellow too. But people complain (rightly) that VAR is slowing the game down
Not at all clear from my comment, but I was more talking about his outward media focused response. I.e. we don’t want a Mourinho response! I’m sure there there will be some clear constructive points made in very forthright fashion over the next few days.
Yep, thought that at the time. Plus we'd timewasted for a good hour so probably deserved it. The rest of his 'performance' was ******* diabolical.
Not rightly at all. There wouldn't be one complaint from the supporter of a winning team if it takes 45 seconds to make the correct decision. The difference between relegation and staying up could be a decision like that. But f*ck VAR, it takes too long and i'd rather be in the Championship anyway.
Yes, I agree that confusion was probably the issue. An extra defender at that stage would have created uncertainty as to who foes what.
It's amazing what one goal can do to people. Yesterday I was confident of winning at Villa and that if we did we would stay up. Fast forward 24 hours, we lost in the last minute and I now feel we will go down. I haven't been this depressed about a result for quite a while and this is a test for Pearson and his staff now. Clearly we missed Sarr as having him and Delefeou stops the opposition pushing too far forward. Last night with Pereyra out wide they knew that he has no pace and that he wouldn't press. It was notable that we didn't press last night as much as have done recently. A lot of games recently and maybe there were some tired players. For the first time i think it's fair to say that Pearson made the wrong changes last night and invited pressure but in fairness he's got a lot right so far so can forgive him what I hope is an anomaly! I'm not going to criticise the players because they've been excellent over the last six games and everybody has an off day. We didn't play well last night and probably got what we deserved but we did have chances to win the game but a couple of decent saves and maybe some poor decision making meant that we came away with nothing. This is now where Pearson and his team start earning their wages because we need to get back in the saddle very quickly. I hope we beat Tranmere tomorrow night as that will give us a another game on Sunday when although we won't play a full first team, we can try and get some game time for Welbeck, Pussetto and others returning from injury but will also keep the players match fit. We are still very much in it but we cannot afford a bad run so the next league game it's vital we get a win
I take from this game, our first XI are good. None of the back up players are (although Pedro and Pussetto who knows). If we want to stay up we need to keep everyone fit.
Nothing boils my wee quite like conceding a last second winner. However I went into last nights game believing that the outcome of the game will have zero outcome on relegation. Neither side will go down, and expect both of us to end up around mid table. There were always going to be games like this that frustrate us, and ultimately our Champions League form wasn't going to last forever.
Decided to look into my after-match comments to see if I could find anything to back it up. Losing Chalobah changed the game in such a bad way for us. We had slightly more possession but Villa were able to win it back easier (half their tackles came in that final 20 min spell) and we had real trouble moving the ball out of midfield into dangerous areas.
An absolute b***** to lose the game in that way. Mings should've been off for a second yellow and then he scores after a blatant dive right at the end. Martin Atkinson is the worst ref in the Premier League, he had a shocker. We were passive throughout I felt. Sarr makes such a difference to the team when he plays, we literally have no pace without him. Probably should've gone 2-0 up, Deulofeu & Deeney both missed good chances. NP Got his subs wrong and he'll know that. Gray offers nothing & Pereyra should've been the first player to be subbed off. I don't think we played well by any stretch, but I do think we deserved a point at least. They were just as bad as us. Was a nightmare getting out of Birmingham as well, I really do hate that place.
Either that, or recruit appropriately whilst we have the opportunity to do so in possibly the most important time since promotion, rather than ******* around claiming our most drastic need is at left-back.
People with suicidal tendencies often make jokes about killing themselves. We need to keep an eye on HB as the relegation fight hots up
If Janmaat isn’t back anytime soon, I would say our most pressing concern is RB and CB. Mariappa should be a back-up CB and that’s it - he’s so far out of his depth at RB and it’s obvious.
100% agree. Don't think left-back is a concern anymore, it's about replacing Janmaat if he's long term and maybe buying a centre back. A right back is biggest priority. Centre back we've got Cathcart, Kabasele, Dawson & Mariappa that can play there so should be well covered.
It's entirely predictable that, once some form of technology was introduced (goal line decisions), people would want more of it (offsides, penalties etc.). So we now have VAR which is limited in what it judges to supposedly minimise the time taken to reach a decision. However, the next step is things like yellow cards for handball on the halfway line. Before you know it TV monitors will be consulted to decide on a disputed throw-in decision.
I should imagine it was something along the lines of: "Play better next time or I'll smash your face in".
LB is a concern but not a pressing one. It can be accommodated in the summer when Holebas hopefully moves on.
Playing either of them as RB just draws the same issue as Mariappa. Full-backs are a huge part of the game now. You need natural operators in those positions.
Chill out everyone. We won't necessarily be fine but it's only a bloody stupid game and if we don't go down this year we'll probably go down next year or the year after anyway .....so why worry......
I completely agree; but I do also believe that if Gray does leave, a backup or competition replacement is similarly vital. What scares me most is him being allowed to leave (not so much that part ) on the flawed basis of 'what we have is good enough' with a dash of 'Welbeck will be like a new signing'. Then all it will take is an injury to Troy and our team and season fully falls apart, as Welbeck will by that point be injured again, and Pedro will still be a very lightweight 18 year old who's played a single game outside the Brazilian league ever. On a related note, Welbeck has only ever played more than 1500 league minutes in a season three times in his career; one of those was only 1,665, and another was whilst on loan at Sunderland nine seasons ago, and even that was only 1,763 minutes. When we bear in mind that a season's total minutes is 3,420, we can extrapolate that half a season's minutes is 1,710. That means that he has just-barely scraped playing over half of his team's league minutes in only two seasons ever, and even the highest of the two was a mere 2,063; far, far closer to that half mark than anywhere near the total. Essentially, evidence far beyond the anecdotal suggests that Welbeck is not a player that it's possible to rely upon staying fit, and to do so would be professional profligacy. That's not even to take into account the almost cliché nature of his most recent injury.
Still struggling with this result this morning. Gut wrenching stuff at the end. Would've been better losing to spurs and drawing this one.
I did not have a good feeling about this game after the first 20 minutes in, our passing was a bit sloppy and we seemed to be a bit panicky, when we took the lead I felt that it was probably a little bit undeserved. We had a good spell at the beginning of the second half and Troy should have scored his chance but didn't get a good connection on it. It looked as if Villa had identified Adrien Mariappa as the weak link, without Sarr Villas wing back was able to have more freedom and linked up well with Grealish. I don't care whether we get a replacement for Gray or not he needs to go he is nowhere near the level required , I am not usually one to single out individuals out but I can't help it, late on in the game at one all Deulofeu made a dangerous run and all that was required to set him away was the most simple of passes and Andre played the ball straight to a Villa player. The most annoying thing about last night was that Villa were a poor side and the few times we did play the football that we have seen under Pearson we looked like we could cut the open however this kind of football was rare. On a more positive not I really like what I saw of Pussetto, great work rate and good speed looked strong and made some good challenges and didn't look technically bad either.
There were a few pointers to the final result. The over confidence. Sarr being out. Tiredness v spurs (imo). One or two players were casual in warm up. Also when teams timewaste against us I always hope itll bite them in the ass. At half time I was happy that Villa looked suitably toothless v our defence (they were ****) and that we were winning without getting into 4th gear. But then considered what if Villa up the workrate? Still dont think they'll trouble that many teams tbh.
If we hadn't gone on that great run none of us would have been surprised or so upset at losing to Villa. I blame Pearson. We should have retained QSF then we would just be numb to defeats by now.
Norwich and Spam lose so no ground lost, but it shouldn't of mattered. We do our job last night wd could be sat four clear. Now we are tied on points with Villa and muff with a worse GD. I didn't feel too bad after the game, but it's a worry confidence could be slipping. We had chances to win and didn't take them, and I really hope this is a blip
West Ham and Bournemouth. Can only hope Liverpool tear them a new one next week and destroy their GD. We could go up a place without playing if they can somehow lose 5-0!
Someone commented on a post of mine after we won the first game or 2 way back when saying it's the hope that gets you! They were right!
Exactly. A few months ago most of us had become resigned to relegation. We have seen the possibility of escape and it is tantalising. I think this defeat upset me more than any other in recent memory. I only hope we have not recharged Villa's season,as we did Saints. The break will hopefully give us time to rest a few. I don't see a loss of confidence but fatigue is another matter,especially as we have some players who are not up for a battle,technically or emotionally.
