Reply With QuoteHaha. I couldn't be "arsed" to correct that.Originally Posted by Steveo
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Rowdy Yates
Probably scared he might follow through 😜
First Team
Haha. I couldn't be "arsed" to correct that.
First Team
He couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo. It's no wonder he's the butt of so many jokes.
Rowdy Yates
He definitely let one go tonight.
Hopefully he lets rip away at Shitty
Master of the Universe
Were we, though?
Were we really great at the start of the season?
Because I seem to recall us huffing and puffing our way to victories we had no business winning.
Almost all games in which we started slow, probably even going behind and then having a much improved second half during which we'd pull off the victory (or draw)
A real question is whether we've been great at all this season.
We had a bit of a (deceptive) purple patch a couple of weeks before the Christmas schedule when we were beating our 'alleged' rivals (at the time) and when we went on a run during which we beat Leverkusen, City and Real - but even during that run I wouldn't characterize how we played as "great" and those victories were more statements about where those respective teams were rather than how we were playing or how "great" we are this season.
Many of us predicted that we'd eventually get found out with these slow starts we've been having to games if we didn't pick up our play, and lo and behold, right about the Christmas schedule period (or shortly after, we hit our "slump" and have now had a run of what? 8 games and only 1 win?
Maybe we're only just settling down to our REAL level rather than experiencing a slump.
I'm not the biggest advocate of buying in the January window as teams are always looking to chisel you in deals since they know any team looking desperately for a January buy will pay above the odds - but this year I felt if we stood pat, we'd pay a price.
Everyone let themselves believe the lie that we're top of the table (both in Europe and the Premier League), which means we don't really need any reinforcements, but anyone who was actually watching our games and looked at our squad depth could have seen this coming a mile away and told you if you don't buy a player (or....three) in the window, we risked watching our title run crumble.
Maybe it might be a blessing in surprise if we get knocked out of the Champions League as that would allow us to marshall resources and make an end-of-the-season run to salvage out title challenge.
But then again we all thought that going out of the FA Cup would also be a blessing in disguise - it's just that it doesn't look like it's paying off yet and potentially might not.
About tonight's game I'm gonna say that Slot himself deserves some of the stick - once again because of his substitution patterns and timing (taking Jota off too early and then choosing to bring on Darwin instead of Diaz who just found his scoring boots again in the last game and could have fed off of that).
There are also questions to be asked of him of his lack of rotation - in particular with how we're running the likes of Grav ragged with all the games and with the fatigue clearly showing in his low-key performances and its impact on our games.
Why not start Endo today and bring on Grav late to help secure the victory (if we had been leading)?
And now he has no choice but to start him again for the third game in a row with City on the weekend, because again....how can you not?
I blame him a little less on the Darwin situation since that's one that the club itself bolloxed from the beginning and doesn't seem to want to extricate itself from even when offered a way out. Compounded by the Chiesa situation as well (who should have been an option in a game like this, but his absence speaking to the lack of confidence the gaffer has on him.....unsurprisingly.....and this as our key purchase in the last full transfer window), just speaks to a circumstance in which I don't think Darwin should be the only one leaving this summer.
That Hughes fella and our scouting department/transfer department also needs a complete clear out.
Probably one of Edwards' worst additions to the club during his two tenures here.
Last edited by Crimson Dynasty; 20th February 2025 at 01:13 AM.
First Team
@Crimson Dynasty
When I say "great" I mean 'great' as in us puting in good, solid performances week after week enabling us to pick up the three points almost every game. I don't think we've played close to what we're capable of, hence why we've not really handed out any real beatings.
Many people already believed or were convinced by others that our squad was, or still is great. I'd like to think that anyone of sound mind who has had their eyes open and who has paid attention to the deficiencies we've had in recent years knows that yet again we're relying on a number of key players getting us over the line. The reason that's the case is because those behind them in the pecking order are an order of magnitude behind our main men in terms of quality, consistency, and the ability to play a fair few games without getting injured.
Slott may have made some questionable substitutions, but I think he is being hamstrung a bit in that he sees what some of us have seen too often, and as a result there are a load of players in our squad that he simply doesn't trust.
There are lots of things that need fixing both on and off the pitch. Do I think they'll be addressed? No I don't. It seems that yet again we're going to rely on a small number of top quality players and our manager wringing as much as he can out of the rest of the players, some of whom really aren't good/consistent/fit enough to be playing for a title chasing team such as ours.
First Team
I don't think anyone thought we were great to watch but like Redmagic says we were great in the sense that we were getting results and were looking pretty solid especially at the back.
For the most part Slot has managed things well but it's looking harder for him now obviously that some players are looking weary and the defence looks like it has in spells in the past where they look vulnerable to every attack.
The defending for both goals yesterday was just ridiculously poor, Szobos header for the first and whoever was tasked to pick up Watkins failed miserably.
We were also hanging on for the third game in a row, we've stopped controlling and are now allowing teams to put us under huge pressure.
Very worrying signs, another draw after leading the game again. I get people making positive points saying that's a good point away. In some respects it is because Villa haven't lost at home since August but it's the overall picture that worries me most. Last night was better than we have been recently but the defence looks very shaky and the next clutch of games looks like they'll be a few draws in there imo.
First Team
That miss by Nunez gets worse every time you watch it.
First Team
Yep, he has to go in the summer. No questions
First Team
Im still raging about that game last night , rewatched the highlights the opportunities we passed up were ridiculous , Im not saying we were amazing g at tge start of the season but we seemed to transition and attack quicker , we have to get back to that . I think there is a lot of improvement needed in the squad ,
For example Jones , he had a brilliant start to the season , but I think it was just a purple patch where he elevates his level but he just can’t stay at that level consistently. We need to bring in players who are genuinely at that level as a baseline. Same for Elliot, neat and tidy but just not at the level , Also doesn’t help when you can’t rotate due to the fact he doesn’t rate what he can bring on ,
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