MATCHWATCH : Aston Villa (h) sponsored by a Terry Bell own goal

[KDRF]

I won't overreact like many seem to have done and in fact I thought our performance was pretty decent considering we were playing Villa who had a new manager and a lot to prove.

However, you cannot look pass the fact that Stam lost us the game by refusing to make any subs up till the point the game was over. Beerens had a poor game and should have been replaced by Harriott on 60mins to give us something different, Samuel should have at least had 15 to run at tired defenders, look what it did for Villa when bringing on Ayew. Also, Williams and Swift were blowing out of there arse, Kelly would have injected some much needed energy and maybe tracked back.

About individual players, I thought McCleary Evans VDB and Moore played well for most, the full backs were poor, in particular Gunter. I am someone that usually praises Gunter when others don't but fcuk me he was dreadful today. No intent whatsoever to attack, whether that be with the ball at his feet or to even attack a header or jump into a tackle. He was arguably at fault for the first and then whenever he got the ball everyone in the stadium knew he would cut back.

[genome]

wear with all

[genome]

I admire Stam's system and obviously it has worked to an extent. I do worry that as the season progresses teams will suss it out and we will struggle, and it certainly seems easy to counter tactically if you don't have top players in the system.

Sides happy for a point will just sit back and not allow any space, and better sides will press us into making mistakes and punish us. That's certainly my worry with the Arsenal game...

We just need more goal threat and a plan B and I think we'll be comfortably top half

[bcubed]

Ins and outs already been covered. Blackett and Gunter were a shambles tonight.

What worries me is that Villa haven't been able to beat a home team in 24 matches. Every other team has had the wear with all to muster at least a draw. Why should we be any different? The manager lost us that. McCleary was dead on his feet from 80 mins. Harriott would've tracked the run and rescued a point. Not exactly entertainment is it.

this^^^

Didn't think it was that bad a performance really
For ten minutes in the first half and fifteen in the second we had sustained pressure and good moves ending in decent crosses if not out and out chances.
Certainly way better than the Derby game, which was dire

Some subs at the end would definitely have helped. I thought Williams and McCleary were knackered with fifteen minutes to go
Maybe Stam needs to get up in the stands to see this a la SSC?!

[mambo3]

Stam should look at our goal difference to know where the problem is and its not with any of the subs as they have had very few games.
Would he give any of the subs this much time to prove themselves? even if you don't rate the subs on the Bench then is it not up to the
Management to show they are part of the system and for team building purposes. I would say there confidence must be shot to pieces.

Stam I think is still a good manager but watching how animated he is on the side lines I think, he thinks hes still playing and is totally
oblivious to what is going on around him and instead is in the game.

No point second guessing why he don't play any of the subs. but it would really look bad on him now if he played say Kelly in the next
game and we slaughtered Rotherham.

what are his assistants doing?

[oh_ROAR]

I think the lack of subs last night are the only this I'm really angry about (other than the loss obviously). At the start of the season we were told they would be emulating the Ajax way and promoting youth, however, a bench full academy players seem to have injuries as their only chance of coming on despite games crying out for subs. Stam after the game mentioned that Samuel is a different type of striker which is why he didn't come on when a different type of striker is exactly what was needed. Not the end of the world but hope Stam and the team keep developing and we batter Rotherham at the weekend

[Brum Royal]

No point second guessing why he don't play any of the subs. but it would really look bad on him now if he played say Kelly in the next game and we slaughtered Rotherham.

Or on the flip side, a willingness to learn from his mistakes perhaps?

[genome]

Yeah, better lose to Rotherham to save face

[Maneki Neko]

we were looking decent 2nd half imo and probably the more likely to win it.
imo you can make just subs on 60 mins as a matter of course and end up disrupting the good stuff you were doing. no problem with him not doing that. personally id have brought on obita and harriott, but im not a champions league winning footballer and former ajax youth coach, so....

then we just gave away a silly goal in the last minute.(to add to the silly goal in the first half)
when the passing around the back is backed up with goals and a win, no one cares. when we do it and misfire, it just ends up a bit frustrating, and there are very fine margins between the two at the moment.

Stam should look at our goal difference to know where the problem is

conceding too many?

[bcubed]

we were looking decent 2nd half imo and probably the more likely to win it.
imo you can make just subs on 60 mins as a matter of course and end up disrupting the good stuff you were doing. no problem with him not doing that. personally id have brought on obita and harriott, but im not a champions league winning footballer and former ajax youth coach, so....

then we just gave away a silly goal in the last minute.(to add to the silly goal in the first half)
when the passing around the back is backed up with goals and a win, no one cares. when we do it and misfire, it just ends up a bit frustrating, and there are very fine margins between the two at the moment.

Stam should look at our goal difference to know where the problem is

conceding too many?

I haven't seen anyone make that point. Don't sub for the sake of it
The concern is that players were tiring (why I don't know but they were) and no action was taken
I saw several occasions when tackles were not even attempted and Villa players were given way too much space
Williams and McCleary were shot with fifteen minutes to go

I believe this really helped Villa get their win

[Ian Royal]

negative management of playing for a draw

this is nonsense.
both teams went all out to win that game in the 2nd half, and it was a pretty exciting, end to end game.


people shouldn't confuse the frustration of losing with it being an awful game.



as it is, we look well on course for midtable, & with continued improvement, or a shrewd January buy or two maybe seeing us push for th e play offs. we'd all have taken that at the start of the season

The teams might have, but one of the manager's didn't.

I'm sorry, but at 1-1 against a team who haven't won away for 14 months and you don't make positive changes to push harder you're being an idiot. Especially when you know your team generally struggle for goals. That game was crying out for a positive change from 60 - 75 minutes to win it. Samuel on for a full back, or a central midfielder. Or one of the wingers to get a rest for Harriott's fresh legs. Instead, we got a Centreback with no time left.

I'm supportive of Stam. I want us to play passing football. I accept we're a work in progress, and I'm happy with mid-table. But we've got to be looking to address the issues, because if we settle on them, we'll go backwards, the same as we have in all of the last three seasons. The players have to learn that just passing around in our own third isn't the way to win games. Yes, it has it's time and place for recovery periods and to suck teams out. But we should be looking to play the ball quickly (but accurately) into the middle third where we can actually start to look at doing some damage. I don't think we're far off. But it's pathetic to complain about teams coming and not conforming to what we want them to do. They may do that in the Netherlands, but it doesn't happen here, so Stam can just get the hell over it and find a solution.

[Ascotexgunner]

I thought Villas back line was awful last night. The ball over the top was the one where we could have profited as they looked like headless chickens. We didn't do it enough.
An injection of pace might have helped.
The one thing that is p+ssing me off though is the number of decent balls that are crossed in the box and not a Reading shirt in sight. Frustrating.

[mambo3]

Eamon Dolan must be looking down from Heaven and wondering what Kelly, Samuel, Watson have to
Do to play for the 1st Team. Keep his legacy alive.