Aston Villa Post Match Thoughts

[millertop]

We had a better first half apart from Ajayi, why wasn’t he took off?

We should have had another penalty I thought

Rodak MOTM for me

They were a man down but it did look like we had a defender down at times

Greaslish is that good he finds time to cheat the **** .

Not many if any thought we’d get anything anyway so I’m not arguing about it.

3 points from Stoke then.

[jakethemiller]

I thought we had them rattled at half time, Vaulks was on top of Grealish and we were taking the game to them. Second half mad 5 minutes cost us. The lad that got sent off should have been off the first time, you can't book someone for an off the ball kick. They set up better in the second half by bringing kodja on also their 7 was a handful all night. Dive for the first pen but Robbo shouldn't have given him the chance, brilliant save by Rodak, he played well tonight. Grealish is a very good player but a cheating little get, Vaulks lost out to him in the second half. I thought Taylor had a very good day the full back was all over the place in the first half. Smith was quiet today and looked a bit leggy like he was carrying an injury. Newell was half the player we saw Saturday and another poor display from Ajayi. If Will Vaulks could match his effort to his distribution he would be a good player. Young Ben seemed to be of it a bit too. Overall the lads did well and deserved something but they are a good side on good form. Matches running out but we're still in and fighting and that's all that I'd wish of them.

[tony260674]

Jack Grealish is light years ahead of anything else at this level, a very special footballer indeed, however tonight he spent more time trying to get Will Vaulks (PFA Community player of the year) sent off to even the teams than running a game where the opposition were nowhere near his class. I fear in 15 years time he will look on his mantelpiece and rather than seeing the 80+ England caps and winners medals that his talent deserves, he will see a few Villa player of the year trophies and pictures of his ****housing of teams like Rotherham.

[PerigordMiller]

We had a cracking first half, and with the sending off, thought it was going to be our night.

But they showed their quality and were well organised in the second.

We maybe should have had a second handball penalty, but overall second half didn't really deserve a point.

Grealish is class, shame he has to fall over and roll around.

[Nardendee]

Unfortunately their Manager doesn’t have any class. He thought his little babies should be wrapped in cotton wool and protected from big bullies like us.
So they should be better if you look at their budget in relation to ours. For all their so called quality the game was decided in 5 minutes when we were caught cold. Should have brought Williams on and taken the game to them.

Same old stereotypes. Teams like these. Irrespective of the second half that was another one that got away.

Shows how bang average the league is. We should be well clear but we still have a chance and it could well go to the last game. There is still fight in this team.

[avondalemiller]

Tonight mirrors exactly what happen in the 1st game against Wolves a couple of seasons ago.

Winning and playing against 10 men, still playing 1 up front allows them to cover with 2 defenders and full back can still bomb on. So really going down to 10 men doesn't weaken their attacking intent.

Play 2 up front and then they go to 3 defenders and we can push on.

I didn't expect anything tonight, but, it was a chance to "pinch" a result. Winning Saturday and losing tonight is a point better than 2 draws. I still think they're going to be more upsets yet.

[BramleyMiller58]

Echo the comments re Grealish

Why oh why does a player with his undoubted skill & talent have to resort to being a cheating twohat ?

Gulf in the skill of management shone through as well, Smith knew what had to be changed in 2nd half and I'm afraid Warne didn't

[BigLadonOS]

Tonight showed us just how much Warny lacks in tactical knowledge and why he needs help from a good tactician by his side.

As said above, it almost goes without saying that when the opposition is down to 10 men you go 2 up front and play down the flanks to force them to play 3 at the back and 2 on either flank to cover the wing play leaving 3 to cover the middle this gives you an extra man in the middle of the park to make the opposition run about like headless chicken and tire themselves out. Simple tactics that sadly Warny did not employ when their man went off and carry it on in the 2nd half.

3 points thrown away because of bad tactics :-(

[mygiddypant]

Tonight showed us just how much Warny lacks in tactical knowledge and why he needs help from a good tactician by his side.

As said above, it almost goes without saying that when the opposition is down to 10 men you go 2 up front and play down the flanks to force them to play 3 at the back and 2 on either flank to cover the wing play leaving 3 to cover the middle this gives you an extra man in the middle of the park to make the opposition run about like headless chicken and tire themselves out. Simple tactics that sadly Warny did not employ when their man went off and carry it on in the 2nd half.

3 points thrown away because of bad tactics :-(

Totally disagree. The difference was in the gulf in class in the second half. Grealish somehow managed to wrangle through three tackles which led to their second goal. Luck? bad tackling? Great skill? Probably something of everything. Sometimes it's the little things that matter. After the second goal there was no way we were going to impose ourselves on them, whatever the tactics.

[BigLadonOS]

Totally disagree. The difference was in the gulf in class in the second half. Grealish somehow managed to wrangle through three tackles which led to their second goal. Luck? bad tackling? Great skill? Probably something of everything. Sometimes it's the little things that matter. After the second goal there was no way we were going to impose ourselves on them, whatever the tactics.

Maybe they were better in the 2nd half but the plan should have been implemented the second after the sending off and that way they would have had to set up totally different for the 2nd half and things could have gone a lot different then they did because we showed them no killer instinct after the sending off. Totally different set up for them in the 2nd half if we had used the usual 11 against 10 tactic after the sending off. As stated above, 3 points thrown away because of a lack of tactical knowledge.