We Now Have A Premiership Team

Well, those words - "We now have a Premiership team" - (or similar) were an utterance from Dean Smith himself. They do not reflect my view. And I use it as the subject line as I - sadly - feel that this kind of statement (if he really believes it) could indicate that we continue as a club to live in a fool's paradise.

Though the Villa definitely put something together and did play better as a team over the last few games, there were plenty of frailties to be seen - the main one being the lack of belief in shooting on target, and particularly in not making the opposing keeper earn his bread and butter.

Let's face it, by the time we came to the 35th match of this staggered season, we came to be facing teams that did not have a lot to fight for. Their existence or success did not depend on beating the Villa, and if they had that kind of motivation, perhaps the results of these last four matches might have been different. As it was, it was a close run thing - if we had lost yesterday we would have gone down, and as Bournemouth had been twice successful against us this season, and taking into account our frequent slack play, perhaps they deserved to stay up.

But - hey - I'm a Villa fan. I shouldn't say those things, should I?

The fact, however, that there might be a false self-belief at Villa Park is somewhat worrying, and perhaps more so as Dean Smith is a well-known Villa fan himself and (we would like to think) knows what's in the mind of a good many Villa fans.

In looking at causes for the tragic state of affairs we nearly succumbed to, we must surely look at the modern view that seems to pervade Villa Park. And whenever I hear Boris Johnson say "We should go with the science" I am inclined to take him to mean what's also going on at Villa Park. What kind of science is it that abjures common sense that surely would tell us that we need Premier League experience to help guide us through the first season back in the top flight? What makes everyone think that 'science' is always right?

In each season since 2015, I have not detected much difference in the overall strategy in the thinking at Villa Park. That is, apart from Steve Bruce's time at VP, when he tried to apply a sense of experience that comes from many years of team management. Not that Bruce was perfect! He was most definitely not, but it was he that brought McGinn and Abraham to Villa Park and did other things that made good strategic sense. Before and after Bruce, however, the Villa have seemed to go for 'science' as the solution to Villa's needs, and hence we saw the intake of many players from around Europe (and Africa) who had no idea about Premier League football. Just what kind of 'science' was this? Although this season did not end nearly so badly when compared to 2015-16, the overall plan did not inspire confidence. In me at least.

As a Villa fan has commented recently on a blog:

Burnley, a ... club with zero fans... and a brand of football that would put a sloth to sleep, a club with pretty much no financial backing and have Villa rejects like Westwood, Bardsley and Lowton who were deemed not good enough over 5 years ago, and ... a club [that] gets [into the] Top 10 most seasons in arguably the hardest league in World Football. We should be ashamed of ourselves as a club.

Burnley, Palace, Brighton, Southampton, Sheff Utd, Bournemouth and Watford who imo are small clubs who are nowhere near the status of Villa in regards of squad [and] financial backing cruise the Premiership this season, it angers me in how badly this mismanagement has cost us this season.

Perhaps that fan was happier after yesterday's result, but I doubt that he would have changed his overall view too much.

A further worry has been the reliance of Jack Grealish to make the big difference. For me, a greater maturity only seemed to flower in the last four games, but against teams that allowed him to play - much more than the likes of Chelsea and Man U. For much of the season he seems to have spent more time on the deck rather than playing.

Well, perhaps the 3-months delay in re-activating the season worked for Villa. A fine article in the Daily Mail on Saturday talked of how much effort went into "late-night debriefs, video coaching by Zoom and barbecues". And by this process creating a bond and trust amongst the players to ensure they were all focused on one method and one attitude over the remaining 10 games. But it almost all came to nought, simply because strikers got nervous in front of goal. 

Yes, Villa have had some considerable setbacks during the season - injuries and peculiar VAR decisions have played their part, including that Man U penalty decision - but to have that Sheffield United 'goal' go by without further scrutiny was a tremendous piece of luck for Villa. As, indeed, was Antonio's squirmed shot early in the match yesterday.

Well. We go again - they say - within a few weeks. Jack may well be with us still when that happens, but we need a lot more than we can see in the squad right now if the next season is to be better. If a reported £135m was spent last year to purchase what we saw, how much more do the owners have to pay out for the coming season?  

There's little time for Smith to mould them into a better unit.

"Villa always make it difficult". Andy Townsend, July 26, 2020.

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Villa Move Up Yet Another Place!

These are both heady and palpitating times!

Up one place on Sunday because Bournemouth's goal difference sank, and two days later up a further place because of a merited win against a team we've not beaten at Villa Park for 22 years.

Football always surprises, but this one is almost a shock to the system. Although our team is not yet clear of relegation, we have hope for the first time since the League Cup final of stabilising our position in the Premier League.

A quite astonishing match, with not only Mings playing mind games with his opponent before helping the ball on for a cracking goal by Trez, but being able to stop the Pea-shooters (the erstwhile Gunners!) from getting a shot on target. Er, except a goalpost intervention that became closer to a goal when our keeper fumbled! 

In fact, did I see Villa move up a gear when Guilbert came on? He was only on the pitch for two minutes when Villa scored. Perhaps he was the unintentional surprise tactic to upset them.

It was a match where Villa seemed to play the same kind of strategy as Arsenal did over Man City in the Cup semi-final a few days ago. Villa defended well and kept their shape throughout, and broke out well at times. But - again - one or two excellent chances went begging, meaning that we were hanging on by our fingernails for longer than is healthy.

However, the much-changed Arsenal side seemed to indicate that the Gunners either thought a win would be easy, or they were more concerned about the upcoming Cup Final. Or both. However it was, it's now all down to Villa. A win at the Hammers on Sunday prevents relegation with reasonable certainty, but any other result depends on what the other relegation contenders do. For example, if Watford draw then we have to also get a draw as the minimum in order to stay up.

What is for sure: we must aim not to lose on Sunday!

This is not good for the heart ... after 70 years of watching too many seasons go by like this, I am getting worn out!

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Villa Move Up A Place!

Agatha Christie could not have written a better plot!

Bournemouth were losing 1-0 into added time (and should have been 2-0 down). Then Bournemouth thought they had scored in the fourth extra minute, but it was disallowed. Then Southampton scored again in the 8th extra minute to help Villa move up a place as we have scored more than Bournemouth!

So, as I see it, it's just (just!) a matter of us getting above Watford (4 or more points to their 0) - or we just getting 3 points and they conceding a lot against their 2 remaining opponents.

Bournemouth seem to be effectively down no matter what they do in their last match.


West Ham and Brighton are effectively safe.

This in the knowledge that in  the 1963/64 season Liverpool won Division 1, Leeds won Division 2 and Coventry won Division 3.  

... While Villa finished fourth from the bottom. (I was kindly reminded about this by a very alert Villa fan.)

It doesn't help my heart condition. I'm suing Villa!

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Stuck In the Goodison Toffee

There were times in this match when I saw Villa's midfield coordination working pretty well, and the team as a whole kept a not very impressive Everton at bay. Until, that is, those last few minutes when the Villa attackers' wastefulness in front of goal was punished. The defence had become weary and let them through the gate. It so reminded me of Villa's last game against the Albion in 1959, when they scored late to cause Villa to go down.

Jack's wanting that extra half-minute before shooting, a  further Samatta header over the bar, a Trezeguet mis-control and El Ghazi's astonishing lob over the bar when it needed more of a push to go into the net, were the pick of Villa's wasted opportunities.

But, again, it's a defender that has to score from a cute Conor free-kick to give Villa a much-needed lead. Mind you, Davis seemed to connect with the ball with a diving header before Konsa popped up, to cause the keeper to dive the wrong way. So that Davis effort was very useful.

What's the matter with Samatta? When he first arrived I thought he looked sharp and good, but since the re-start he's looked not very confident in front of goal. A pity. Davis, for me, looks the more useful player, but he still can't score either.

So, we go into the last two matches still with a chance for survival. But can we beat Arsenal? And can we then beat the Hammers? It is possible, but for as long as we waste our chances then there's doubt.

The old saying "what a load of wasters" comes to mind. Villa could have saved themselves by now with the chances available, but now we have two very big cup finals coming up.

Still, while there's life there's hope!

UTV!

How The Palace Was Shattered

On Sunday at 4:20 p.m., or thereabouts UK-time, the pulses of many Villa fans slowed down to a more healthy rate following a league win for the first time after 10 previous matches. During that time, only 2 draws had been obtained, and only 5 goals scored. Of those 5 goals, only one had been scored by a forward - and that had been 10 games before this one.

Villa's opponents in this latest match, Crystal Palace, had the temerity to field two ex-Villa players. Did Mr. Hodgson think they would be extra-fired-up against the Villa? But - worse - they are a club that decided to ditch the old Villa colours some 50-plus years ago. So, looking for their first points in five matches, the Palace came to Villa, thinking no doubt that our old club would lie down and concede them their wish. Thankfully - after all - this proved not to be the weak Villa side that gave up the ghost in 2015-16. This time they made a match of it.

The gaffer, talking of Villa's recent run of defeats, simply said that the recent matches were mostly against top-6 sides. Did he say this as though to say "We'll win this one!"? True, most of our recent matches were too much for this embryonic Villa squad, though we did have some chances against those teams and should have taken some of them. But, for me, against the likes of Zaha, the Palace were not to be thought of as push-overs.

And then we had a player injured before kick-off, and then another within minutes of the kick-off. Both the full-backs in fact. But, luckily, the two subs were probably just what we needed for this match, though Taylor had done a pretty good job.

But Villa's luck didn't look too good when Palace nudged the ball into the net after only seven minutes, only for it to be VAR-ed and declared a no goal. Phew. But I was pleased by the decision - not for the handball that they decided it was - but because Mr. Reina had bounced off one of our old players, Ayew, and was lying on the ground as the ball entered the net.

Ref., you should know by now that no goal is allowed if our keeper is lying on the ground! Says I! 😏

But it was Mr. Trezeguet who lit up the afternoon for me. Two good goals, and it should have been three from him. Yes, Jack probed here and probed there, but does he hack it any more than in the last match? No. Not for me. And as for the penalty cry, when he went into a booth to think about whether he would fall over or not, was too much! If he thought that was a trick worth trying then I'm the proverbial Chinaman! Perhaps I am!

Doubtless that reading through my nonsense you will be thinking I've had a tot or two after that result. No, but the result - by itself - did put a bit more life into me. Until, that is, the Bournemouth result ... Bournemouth had taken two points from their last nine games, so they were 'doing a Villa'. I expected them to be the second team soon to know they are down.

But, near two-thirds of the match gone, and Leicester winning 1-0, this was the commentary:

What a shambles! Kasper Schmeichel hits a goal kick into the back of his own player, Wilfred Ndidi. Callum Wilson picks up the ball and Ndidi and Schmeichel combine to bring him down.

The penalty was converted and it was 1-1.

Then:

Almost straight from kick-off Solanke is played in down the left of the area, he hits a low shot which Kasper Schmeichel should hold on to really but it squirms over the line.

Leicester was losing! 1-2. And then, straight away, they had a player sent off.

Bournemouth won 4-1 due to Leicester's suicide tactics. The third goal a massive deflection and the fourth another Leicester give-away.

It remains for Villa to now do some more catching up. As I see it, they have to get at least 7 points from their three remaining matches to stand a chance. Let's see what happens - though I watch without too much expectation.

But, who knows, after Trez scoring two versus Palace then maybe McGinn will want to score a hat-trick on Thursday! And will Jack decide to up his game?

UTV!

Relegation Itself Is A Big Enough Penalty, Surely!

So, so, sad. It's bad enough when you know fortune is not going your way by the thickness of a goal-post, but then to be immediately penalised so harshly at the other end would knock some of the stuffing out of the toughest competitors.

If this - and if that. In the first 25 minutes, Villa could well have been at least 2-0 up if their good chances had been taken - two of which stemmed from good retrieval by the forwards from over-cocky Man U defenders. Further, in that period Man U had produced nothing of note to worry the Villa defence unduly.

And then that awful penalty decision. In ordinary life it would almost warrant arrest for theft. What with three good goals being denied Villa by VAR in the early part of the season, this one just about took the biscuit.

But Villa, let's face it, have only themselves to blame for what has transpired during the season. Apart from some dubious summer signings, the worst decision - in my opinion - was the decision to model the team around Jack Grealish. I am so sorry to say this but though he shines in the Championship, in this unrelenting company he does not hack it for me. As captain and to miss two good chances (not even on target) in the last two games, and at important points in the game, does not reflect well on him. That is apart from the fact that he does not impose himself enough on the play to warrant being captain. A captain is supposed to set the example - not just prettiness of feet.

Harsh words perhaps, but this has proved to be a weak Villa team built around a false premise as I see it. Villa have needed more steel all season and the two so-called 'stars' - Grealish and Mings - have let the side down too much.

Having seen the disastrous season of 1966-67 (though it was a spirited fight until the last few games), the re-building of the club and the aftermath through the old Division 3 days, followed by the tremendous rise to top-notch over 10 years, the fact that Villa have progressively gone down the pan over the last 20 years is extremely concerning. The Lerner years were disastrous years of false dreams in my view. Now another period of false dreams. I really wonder where Villa can go from here.

Well, Villa are not quite down yet. But as the side cannot seem to score - only defenders have scored in the past half-dozen matches - hope has nearly completely drained from my heart. If you can't score you can't win. 

And, with football looking more like automated nonsense as the months go by, I doubt that the sport can be called a sport anymore. 

But the Villa tradition - as it once was - kept me going before. Now, I cannot see it returning.

Heartening - But Liverpool Were Heartless

I doubt that anyone really thought that our lot would get anything from Anfield, but the fact that the score remained goal-less after 70 minutes started to pump hope into my drained heart.

The team selection and format was 'as you were' in the earlier part of the season, and did look more balanced in my opinion. In fact, Villa held up very well and in my view should have done better with the limited chances they had. But, of course, the absence of three of 'Pool's 'big guns' - resting on the bench - was noticeable and, sure enough, when they came on the tide shifted.

But that didn't deter Villa, glad to say, and Grealish - in happier days - would surely have put away the great chance he had, although the 'keeper saved well, to be sure.

Both teams had similar amounts of goal chances, but Villa - as usual these days - lacked the confidence to strike well.

One noticeable thing was that McGinn was beginning to look more like his old self and lasted the full 90 minutes. I can only hope that he comes back to all-cylinders-firing for the rest of the season. Trezeguet, though, lacks confidence, and El Ghazi could do with a touch of extra pep as well.

The good thing is that there's still 5 games and a possible 15 points to go! And let's remember that even Wellington got worried that Nap was going to win until Blucher arrived!

Just one win in the next two matches could change things around completely: that's how close it is really. A win would surely bring back some much-needed confidence, in players and fans alike.

UTV!