I Have No Words, Only Despair - Notes for Aston Villa Friday, 16th Sep 2016 11:00 by HarryFromBath HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Saturday’s game at Portman Road by delving into their forums. “What’s wrong with our football club?”, “This division is not fun, it’s horrible and we’re too woeful to do anything in it. I’m completely sick of it”, “Get used to Championship football, because it’s here to stay for at least two seasons”, “This is the first time I thought we’re not going up”, “It’s all very Villa.” “Again.” Fans were left fuming on Wednesday when John Egan struck an 88th minute equaliser for Brentford at Villa Park. With Forest grabbing an injury time leveller on Sunday and Bristol City bagging three second half goals, they have seen their side jettison winning positions three times in a row. “When is this going to end?”, “This club will be the death of me”, “I’m sick of convincing myself we are on the up”, “There is absolutely no joy in supporting Villa at all”, “I am just sick of this club”, “We really have chosen the worst football club to support”, “I can always count on Villa to ruin my day.” “We’re going to struggle this year lads. Does anyone else still think we’re going to give someone a hiding?” Villa arrive at Portman Road 17th in the table and with just one win over a poor Rotherham side. All talk of strolling the division is history. “I’m just fed up of not being able to win games.” “It’s fun to watch Villa play again, that’s all I ask for.” A minority of West Midlanders believe that the squad’s quality will see them progress. “Most sides in this league and poor and the best are average. When we start to click we will be unplayable”, “It has been a long summer of comings and goings.” Roberto Di Matteo“I fear that Roberto may not be the man”, “There is a turning point in pressure on him now”, “He has three games to show he can sort this. If he doesn’t he will be gone. Neil Warnock would have more points than this”, “We need a manager who does not think his work is done by picking the team.”  “Great, it looks like we have got ourselves another idiot.” Having given the new manager and rebuilt squad the benefit of the doubt so far, fans showed their frustration at full-time on Wednesday. Their anger was directed at what they felt were an unbalanced starting XI and highly questionable tactics. “Poor at game management”, “I’m against pulling the trigger early, but Di Matteo has zero presence and shown no evidence that he has a clue how to put those players together”, “It’s simple, he has to learn how to close a game down or we are going to throw three points away left, right and centre.” “Oh for a real manager with a game plan.” The 46-year-old former Chelsea and Schalke boss “is bang in trouble. A couple more games without a win or sustained improvement and he is dispensable. His starting line-up for Brentford displayed a tactical naivety Paul Lambert would struggle to surpass.” “The bloke has had seven games and hasn’t fielded his first choice XI, frustrating yes, panic no.” His supporters are urging patience as his unfamiliar squad take time to gel. “There is enough experience on the pitch to see these games out”, “Watching that team and with additions to come, it will click.” A Losing Mentality“We have the mental fortitude of a soggy rice cake”, “There seems to be a lack of will, desire or know-how to do whatever it takes to stop the opposition”, “Everyone knew what was going to happen as the Brentford game went on. I don’t remember a side gifting as many late equalisers.” “Where are all these captains I keep hearing about?” Fans have regularly voiced concerns about the side’s failure to kill off opponents through “second half collapses and missed opportunities”, “I am sick of spending the last 20 minutes of a game waiting for opponents to score. It’s beyond a joke.” “We can’t react to a setback in any way”, “No team in the division is afraid of playing us home or away”, “On paper we look good but on the pitch we look terrible. We have no resolve, no urgency, no team dynamic and even with 100 captains signed over the same window, no bloody leaders.” Naïve Tactics“Most sides’ eyes light up when they see our teamsheet. Starve the front four by smothering the midfield two. Get them playing on top of their centre-halves and a point, minimum, is yours”, “We have no midfield. The defence can’t hold out when teams can walk through the centre of the pitch.” GolliniDe LaetElphickChesterCissokhoWestwoodJedinakKodjiaMcCormackAyewGestede
“That looks rather bold on paper”, “That’s pretty attacking”, “Just in case anyone missed the news, Ossie Ardiles took the management position today.” Fans were nervous when the starting XI (above) was confirmed on Wednesday with some even comparing Di Matteo to the gung-ho Argentine former Spurs boss. “It’s very bold. Jedinak is going to have to do a hell of a job.” Villa started against Brentford with four strikers and a rigid holding midfield duo. Full-backs were unable to threaten without wide cover and fans couldn’t fathom why the static Rudy Gestede led the line instead of the mobile Jonathan Kodjia. “We have switched off and dropped deep here.” The consequences were inevitable for many. After Villa took the lead with a Kodjia strike on 19 minutes, the visitors exploited weaknesses in the formation to take control. “The midfield was so pedestrian it was like having cardboard cut-outs on the pitch.” “The annoying thing is that I don’t think we were a bad side, but we were so overloaded up front that our midfield was overwhelmed the minute the opposition got their act together”, “We handed them the initiative and the gap between the forwards and the rest of the side became even bigger.” “We have to sort that midfield out.” Many fans believe that central midfield will be strengthened with Aaron Tshibola’s energy when he recovers from a groin injury while Albert Adomah may offer some width on Saturday if the deadline day arrival from Middlesbrough has overcome a calf injury. Elsewhere in the side, fans are broadly happy with the quality of the two new strikers and four new defenders but accept that it will take some time to build partnerships. “Kodjia aside, we were very ordinary in the final third. Playing Gestede and Ross McCormack together gives us no pace up front.” Aston Villa 1 — 1 Brentford“I fancied this tonight but not so much any more. A big man up top with no width was one of our main problems in the first half of last season”, “The system needs the strikers tracking back, doesn’t it?”, “You just know what’s going to happen”, “We sat off and let them dominate the game.” Fans agreed that the visitors grabbed the initiative 10 minutes before the break and John Egan’s late leveller was inevitable. “Leaving a man unmarked at the far post is unacceptable, even in the Sunday leagues”, “Why can’t we stop average teams scoring?”, “Play a proper formation on Saturday.” “Brentford’s movement and flexibility ran us ragged”, “On the night Leicester made their Champions League debut, we struggle to draw at home to a nylon company”, “There was quite an exodus from the stands when their goal went in. The sound of upturning seats was like a toll of doom.” Aston Villa 2 — 2 Nottingham Forest“Nobody knows the weaknesses of a football team better than their own fans”, “It’s like we have all the constituent parts but we have an unreadable manual for it”, “We snatched a draw from the jaws of victory”, “The most one-sided draw I have seen, our luck must change soon”, “So frustrating.” “Robin Hood’s alive and well.” Forest salvaged a point in stoppage-time last Sunday when Henri Lansbury levelled with only the visitors’ second shot of the game. Apostolos Velios had put Forest in front on 57 minutes before Villa hit back with goals from Ross McCormack and Gestede on 72 and 74. “Classic Villa, we could see the finish line but decided to go for tea before crossing it”, “Forest had two attacks, and one of their goals wasn’t even a real chance”, “How we did not win that I will never know”, “Both of their goals were from our midfield being too weak”, “Same old, same old again.” GolliniDe LaetElphickChesterCissokhoWestwoodGardnerGrealishMcCormackAyewKodjia
“It’s early days but I don’t think that formation (the starting XI above) is working. If we’re going to play McCormack and Kodjia together it needs to be in a two-man attack”, “No width is killing us going forward. Jack Grealish, Jordan Ayew and McCormack are getting in each other’s way a bit.” “Forest have been so unadventurous and offered no space in behind.” The visitors set out to stifle Villa and wait for an opportunity to materialise. There were familiar groans when Velios rifled home their opening goal just before the hour mark. “Forest’s game plan is working to perfection.” BunnDe LaetElphickChesterCissokhoWestwoodGestedeGrealishMcCormackAyewKodjia
Di Matteo had made one switch at half-time when keeper Pierluigi Gollini was withdrawn with a knock for Mark Bunn. With the side trailing he then withdrew midfielder Gary Gardner and brought on another striker in Gestede (above). This cavalry charge saw Villa scored twice in three minutes. “Now get Jedinak on in midfield”, “Let’s see this out now.” Fans were then urging Di Matteo to bring on holding player Mile Jedinak to shore up the midfield. The Australian was on the bench having picked up a knock while on international duty but the third substitution never took place. “I couldn’t tell what formation our players were supposed to be playing for the last 15 minutes. They had one half-decent mazy run and we conceded”, “Forest were awful yet they came away with a point. That has to stop”, “Their second goal amazed me because they bulldozed their way through.” Bristol City 3 — 1 Aston Villa“When will this football team stop punching me in the teeth every weekend?”, “I really fancied us, what an idiot to even think it”, “So that’s football on Channel 5 to avoid now, just like Match of the Day for the last four years”, “Today’s the day optimism died”, “What a disaster of a second half.” “Goal, Jack, get in!” The visitors went ahead from a stylish Grealish finish after just five minutes, but fans were worried that they had not make first-half dominance count more. “I can’t shake off feeling that we have seen this before”, “I hope we don’t do our usual rubbish of performing for one half.” “City score”, “How many times, Villa, how many bloody times?” The Robins equalised when Tammy Abraham pounced on a Gollini parry on 59 minutes and they then took the lead two minutes later when Abraham played Joe Bryan in through the centre to finish. “You just knew this would happen.” “And there’s the third”, The hosts capped off a fine turnaround when Lee Tomlin fired home a freekick on 81 minutes. “We could and should have been four-up with ease. When Bristol City equalised, did anyone really expect us to put up a fight? The answer is obvious”, “We’re still on the slide.” Goalkeepers and Defenders“This keeper is not filling me with confidence”, “Pierluigi Gollini “is a bit his and miss. He does the basics but costs goals”, “He’s not good enough to be our first keeper in this division. Teams have worked out that he will push shots away”, “It’s the one position you simply can’t mess around with.”  “Gollini’s habit of pushing the away from his body but not far enough is becoming common.” The 21-year-old summer arrival from Verona “doesn’t seem to have the confidence to catch the ball, pushing and punching it like he does. Other clubs notice this and put the ball in to create those situations.” “Ritchie De Laet looks like an actual defender. He wins lots of headers, which is rare for a full-back.” The 27-year-old right-back arrived last month from Leicester. “I’m definitely impressed with his pace. We need to use him as an out ball”, “He looks very dynamic and should provide plenty of width.” “Hopefully De Laet will be the attacking right-back we need to create width and pace”, “He has good pace and promotion experience”, “It’s nice to see a right-back who is comfortable on the ball”, “He’s a cracking player who is very fast”, “Looks decent and has enough pace to cover positioning errors.” “Aly Cissokho was our best player for much of the first half against Brentford and bailed out Grealish many a time.” The 28-year-old ex-Valencia man “was exposed in one vs two situations for most of the second half”, “He might be better if he had some protection from the man in front of him.” “Cissokho has never massively impressed me but he has looked good this year.” The left-back “is strong and doesn’t mind putting himself about”, “He is very poor on the ball and going forward but OK defensively”, “He gets too tight to his player, giving away silly freekicks and sits back too often.” “I will cut Jordan Amavi some slack after being out for so long with his knee injury.” The 22-year-old ex-Nice left-back “had a horrible game against Brentford, weak, slow and ineffective”, “He was the supposed workhorse defensive player and it was terrible. He is no answer to our midfield problems.” “James Chester could have done more for both Forest goals.” The 27-year-old ex-West Brom centre-half “was missing in action for Brentford’s goal. A decent striker will make mincemeat out of him”, “He looked pretty quick playing for Wales in the Euros and has the recovery speed Elphick lacks.” “It was mad how West Brom made a profit out of James Chester, a player they never used”, “As a pair neither Elphick nor Chester are quick and you need a quick one in the pair. Probably not an issue until we get back to the Premier League”, “They don’t like it when players run at them with pace.” Tommy Elphick“Whisper it quietly, is Elphick any good when you take out the chest thumping?”, “I’m not sure about our new leader”, “I was expecting him to be solid and completely reliable but I don’t think that”, “He has been a bit poor since we bought him. He always looks to have a game-changing mistake in him.” “I’m starting to wonder how good he is, for all that ‘I’m a leader’ stuff.” The 29-year-old ex-Bournemouth centre-half “has a knack of crocking an opponent early in a few of the games we have played. It has led to their player being subbed and him not getting booked. I like that about him.” Central Midfielders“A shame there is no Tish.” Fans are desperate for the pace and energy of 21-year-old signing from Reading Aaron Tshibola in the centre. “We have no pace, drive or athleticism to move the ball forward without him”, “The one player who we want fit, the only one with energy to get around the pitch.”  “Gary Gardner moves like a donkey in treacle.” The 24-year-old youth product “really isn’t the man we hoped for. He has looked out of sorts and we can’t afford passengers”. “He gives the ball away needlessly with regularity”, “Having given it away his attempts at recovery are pretty lame.” “The one time Nottingham Forest looked like panicking was when Gardner charged forward”, “It was the type of run we have been crying out for ages”, “There you go, and Forest’s first goal comes from an awful Gardner pass”, “No midfielder at all is better than a midfield with Gardner playing in it.” “Ashley Westwood appears on the scene as always a few yards too late. Boy is that bloke poor.” The 26-year-old ex-Crewe man “visibly lost his bottle at half-time at Bristol. He played as if he was shell-shocked”, “He slows down our midfield tempo and he disappears when things start to go badly.” “I am trying to back Westwood but he just keeps going missing when we need to keep a grip on the game. When we’re on top he’s fine but has to be more influential and consistent”, “No bite at all”, “He’s neat and tidy in a sideways type of way but couldn’t spot an incisive pass in a gazillion years.” Mile Jedinak“Jedinak’s lack of mobility in the central area puts more emphasis on Westwood.” The 32-year-old summer arrival from Crystal Palace “adds more presence in midfield and stops runs by fair means or foul”, “He wins things and keeps it safe. He’s a genuine presence but he doesn’t have a killer ball.” “Jedi lacks pace and legs”, “A tough guy that anyone with a pulse can outrun”, “He’s tidy enough but inclined to play it square”, “He wins the ball a lot and stops our paper-thin challenges but he usually settles for the short, unambitious pass”, “He will be fine with a proper partner in there beside him.” Wide Midfielders“I don’t see Leandro Bacuna leaving any time soon, which is surprising given his Champions League ambitions.” The 25-year-old ex-Groningen man was ridiculed by fans last March after speculating on an ambitious move back to the Netherlands. “He will produce a couple of moment of real quality.” “Bacuna has been fine at right-back so far but can switch to midfield given our lack of options”, “He struggles with a right-back behind him”, “He always tries reasonably hard but he is capable of acute brainlessness”, “He has rocks for brains but gets forward plenty without being a liability at the back.” “It’s great to have a bit of pace in our attack now.” Fans are anxious to see Albert Adomah’s name in the starting XI on Saturday. The 28-year-old “constantly creates space for strikers”, “He’s two-footed and has an eye for goal”, “I love a proper winger and am so pleased that we have bought one.” Jack Grealish“Jack made ghosting past Forest players look the easiest job in the world at times.” The 20-year-old youth product “is using his skill and ball retention ability to bring others into the game more than before”, “The player who stands still when the ball is lost is hopefully completely in the past now.”  “Jack is growing into a brilliant player”, “He can end up beating the extra man when a pass to a man in space is easier”, “He gives the ball away constantly by running inside and into dead ends”, “He is brilliant and frustrating in equal measure, taking too many unnecessary touches”, “He won’t shoot.” Strikers“What’s with the harsh comments about Jordan Ayew? He’s the best player we have and easily the most dangerous at creating chances”, “He’s a strange player, a mixture of the frustrating, erratic and brilliant”, “He played much more for the team against Forest in the second half, hence the assists.” The 24-year-old ex-Lorient man was criticised for “a sullen performance” at Bristol. “He can be good but he’s part of the problem. It disrupts the side when he throws tantrums”, “He won’t put people in when they are better placed”, “He thinks he’s too good for this league, the cold fact is that he isn’t.” “I like to see Rudy Gestede as a bench option. I like to see him come in and cause a whole bunch of panic, but when we are trying to build our game in the first half he looks like a tree getting in the way.” The 27-year-old ex-Blackburn striker “is a bit of a donkey but a threat at home in particular”. “The most immobile player on the planet was playing on his own against Brentford”, “The ball seems to die whenever it gets neat to him”, “He is brilliant in the air with his decent flick-ons but he is very poor using the ball on the floor. It’s no use him leading the line, he had no one close to link up with.” Jonathan Kodjia“Kodjia is lively and reminds me of Christian Benteke in the air.” The 26-year-old recent arrival from Bristol City is “slightly gangly, occasionally clumsy but capable of some sublime skill”, “He’s a serious player”, “His ability and pace are a pleasant surprise”, “He might be better in a proper two up front.”  “Why play him on the wing?”, “I still don’t know why Kodjia was played out wide against Brentford”, “He looked a menace all game but was pushed out wide”, “When he broke from deep on the right he was lost in a swarm of Bristol City players”, “Play him through the middle. It isn’t difficult Robbie.” Ross McCormack“I wouldn’t drop McCormack. He consistently puts in a good set piece and can finish with the right supply”, “His goal aside, I wasn’t particularly impressed with him against Forest. He was brushed off the ball too many times. I still don’t think he’s fit enough”, “He was breathing out of his backside.”  The 30-year-old former Leeds and Fulham man “is forcing us to play in a specific way, playing deeper from goal”, “He’s the only one to actually look to receive a pass. We don’t always have the vision to pick him out when he finds space. We need to get more out of him”, “He needs to be more aware.” “Ross is becoming a bit of a worry. He’s the one who is really being shoe-horned in. He’s not quick enough to make a difference out wide and not strong enough to play centrally with his back to goal”, “I want him picking up spaces 10 yards nearer the goal”, “He doesn’t occupy dangerous positions.” Villa Supporters’ Thoughts on ITFC and the Game“I'm beginning to hate these Championship sides who know they're not the best but relish a good mugging. Why can't they just roll over?”, “The teams in this division are nowhere the standard of the Premier League but they do know how to put a shift in and we need to show more respect.” “Brentford - a club from a town the size of Halesowen”, Bees were irked by arrogant comments from minority of Villans with one tweet comparing them to a pub team going viral ahead of their match. “Sack Di Matteo before we have to do a trip to Suffolk and suffer some other no-marks battering us.” While a small number of fans see this division as being beneath them, the majority have forecast a stalemate on Saturday with the rest split evenly between a home and away win. Many predictably foresee a late Town goal. “This has last minute winner for Ipswich written all over it.” “I have seen Ipswich against Reading and they looked bang average, but that is no hurdle for our manager and his bungling attempts to put out a side that has even a semblance of balance and structure”, “Goal up, can't defend, concede. Ad infinitum. I'm already sick of this.” “Although it's sad to think, a point at Ipswich is probably a good result for us”, “There is zero chance of getting a result at Ipswich. McCarthy's teams are too well organised and he has been around long enough to know how to exploit our weaknesses. A comfortable afternoon for them, 3-1 home win.” “Mortimer, Withe for us. Gates, Whymark for them”, “Laurie Sivell will save a last minute penalty”, “I seem to remember going to Portman Road once in the FA Cup. We were winning 2-0 and Alun Evans scored but we managed to lose 3 - 2 in the end. There was also a right to do outside as well.” “I've never viewed Portman Road as a happy hunting ground for us.” There have been plenty of reminiscing. “Looking forward to this one again. It has been a long time since I was at Portman Road and always used to enjoy this one. I remember it being very tasty on the two visits in 80/81 season.” “I was also there in 80/81 and it sure was tasty both before and after the game. I remember them making us queue up alongside each other and then at the end of the game they sent us down opposite streets only for those streets to join up further along.” “Ipswich will be tough”, “There are no easy games in this league but these will be very tough to beat”, “I would love Mick McCarthy and would have picked him over Robbie”, “Money buys success and we have spent a lot, where's our success? “It doesn't always work like that, I'm afraid.” WebsitesThere are a good number of active Villa forums. There was plenty of informative discussion and debate on the busy Heroes and Villans site. Additional comment and opinion can be found on VitalAstonVilla.
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