Don_Simon Posted May 15, 2022 Share Posted May 15, 2022 Its been an absolute shit show from Watford on opening day onwards. The malaise with the international call ups, formation **** ups, trying to shoe horn Ings and Watkins into the same team, constant injuries, terrible home form, managerial change, I could go on. I've not really enjoyed the season and am very much looking forward to a fresh Aston Villa in August. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Albrighton Posted May 15, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted May 15, 2022 Results wise, the ones I’ll remember fondly are the away games at Man Utd and Leeds. That’s not to say there hasn’t been other good performances or results. But they’re the two that stick out. Without getting into the debate of why there was, and how much credit belongs to whom (we know who thinks what)…there were more exciting, memorable moments last season. Truth of the matter is there was probably more enjoyable memories from the relegation battle (Brighton/Watford/Leicester semi final late winners, the win against Arsenal, Norwich 5-1…). More negative ones too. So this season comparatively has been a little bit drab. Possibly because it’s been a season of consolidation, that’s to be expected. Hopefully there’s more high points next season, I think there will be. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHY Posted May 15, 2022 Share Posted May 15, 2022 (edited) 18 minutes ago, nick76 said: We didn’t have a DM when we played so well for that half a season and I can’t believe the reason we look so poor sometimes is because we haven’t got an inside left forward. The balanced squad I get, but we didn’t have a balanced squad 18 months ago when we were flying. It just seems a convenient excuse which while has some merit, also papers over some of the other cracks. We need to be getting more out of the players we have got because most of them will be here next season and first XI players. Yes we will have a summer spree but even at the extreme we are only likely to have 5 new starters and most likely 3. That will make a huge difference but we also need to get out better performances from the rest….the current players. You keep going on about a great 1st half of the season which simply didn’t happen mate, if it did this would be the Dean Smith thread. 18 months ago we had Grealish playing out his skin and covid games weren’t played at the same intensity as games with fans but we still only finished 11th. The paper cracks you talk about is the squad, it’s just not good enough. I’m not making excuses for Gerrard btw but let’s give him a summer window and pre season before judging him. Edited May 15, 2022 by WHY 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Made In Aston Posted May 15, 2022 Share Posted May 15, 2022 20 minutes ago, nick76 said: We didn’t have a DM when we played so well for that half a season and I can’t believe the reason we look so poor sometimes is because we haven’t got an inside left forward. The balanced squad I get, but we didn’t have a balanced squad 18 months ago when we were flying. It just seems a convenient excuse which while has some merit, also papers over some of the other cracks. We need to be getting more out of the players we have got because most of them will be here next season and first XI players. Yes we will have a summer spree but even at the extreme we are only likely to have 5 new starters and most likely 3. That will make a huge difference but we also need to get out better performances from the rest….the current players. Smith played a different system. Gerrard's relys heavily on attacking full backs and a possession based midfield with a quality DM. Its not hard to see why we are not performing well on a regular basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick76 Posted May 15, 2022 Share Posted May 15, 2022 9 minutes ago, WHY said: You keep going on about a great 1st half of the season which simply didn’t happen mate, if it did this would be the Dean Smith thread. 18 months ago we had Grealish playing out his skin and covid games weren’t played at the same intensity as games with fans but we still only finished 11th. The paper cracks you talk about is the squad, it’s just not good enough. I’m not making excuses for Gerrard btw but let’s give him a summer window and pre season before judging him. It did happen. I just picked up to the 15th game at random and we were 5th on 28 points. 18 months ago give or take we were 5th in the league, so I wasn’t making it up! https://www.worldfootball.net/schedule/eng-premier-league-2020-2021-spieltag/15/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam-AVFC Posted May 15, 2022 Share Posted May 15, 2022 (edited) 13 minutes ago, WHY said: You keep going on about a great 1st half of the season which simply didn’t happen mate, if it did this would be the Dean Smith thread. 18 months ago we had Grealish playing out his skin and covid games weren’t played at the same intensity as games with fans but we still only finished 11th. The paper cracks you talk about is the squad, it’s just not good enough. I’m not making excuses for Gerrard btw but let’s give him a summer window and pre season before judging him. It confused me a little when I first read it, but I believe if you reread Nick's posts he was talking about last season. Edited May 15, 2022 by Sam-AVFC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foreveryoung Posted May 15, 2022 Share Posted May 15, 2022 14 minutes ago, nick76 said: It did happen. I just picked up to the 15th game at random and we were 5th on 28 points. 18 months ago give or take we were 5th in the league, so I wasn’t making it up! https://www.worldfootball.net/schedule/eng-premier-league-2020-2021-spieltag/15/ Between Everton and Leicester. Just confirms, you have to keep investing in better players, every season. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted May 15, 2022 Share Posted May 15, 2022 1 hour ago, Don_Simon said: Its been an absolute shit show from Watford on opening day onwards. The malaise with the international call ups, formation **** ups, trying to shoe horn Ings and Watkins into the same team, constant injuries, terrible home form, managerial change, I could go on. I've not really enjoyed the season and am very much looking forward to a fresh Aston Villa in August. Think what summed it up well was winning at Old Trafford and the euphoria of that....followed by five straight defeats and a very popular manager regretably losing his job. Then starting well under Gerrard but losing the Burnley and Leeds games over xmas due to covid when we could've really established ourselves in top half. Just feels like a season where we've had no momentum so yes a fast start in August would be huge. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaParkAvenue Posted May 15, 2022 Share Posted May 15, 2022 The optimism since the NSWE takeover has turned into a feeling of light disappointment for me. It’s becoming more difficult to believe a top 6 finish could actually happen, although we realistically shouldn’t be that far off looking at current squad and available resources. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted May 15, 2022 Share Posted May 15, 2022 (edited) I think the armistice has well and truly been signed with reparations and parts of Aston lower grounds conceded in the peace talks. Edited May 15, 2022 by The Fun Factory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozvilla28 Posted May 16, 2022 Share Posted May 16, 2022 Problem is when we loose we go on such a bad patch for a whole block of games and don't bounce back. Squad has been poor at times school mistakes , but the manager needs to get the best out of them his being backed by the owners $$$. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amed Posted May 16, 2022 Share Posted May 16, 2022 Boring season. Glad it’s nearly over 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abdulaziz1 Posted May 16, 2022 Share Posted May 16, 2022 8 hours ago, VillaParkAvenue said: The optimism since the NSWE takeover has turned into a feeling of light disappointment for me. It’s becoming more difficult to believe a top 6 finish could actually happen, although we realistically shouldn’t be that far off looking at current squad and available resources. I think we’ve done ok without Grealish. I had my doubts with Smith as he didn’t offer anything without Jack in the last couple of months. So atleast with Gerrard we’re on par with us with Jack. I think we’ve panicked a bit when Jack went with some signings. But hopefully now we have a good base to build on. I just wanted Jack for another season as we could’ve got a European place, but sadly we didn’t. If I’m disappointed on something it’s the fact that we didn’t use as much players as we could. Tim and Carney should’ve started more. That would’ve been a long term success. But other than that I think we’re ok. I’m just worried about the new approach of getting the experienced players. If we got it wrong it’s so risky as most of those player we won’t be able to offload. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted May 16, 2022 Share Posted May 16, 2022 12th in the league and a boring season? Wow 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow1988 Posted May 16, 2022 Share Posted May 16, 2022 12 hours ago, CVByrne said: The Konsa injury and the loss of millions in income due to our poor finishing position. Couldn't end a season worse. Limping into summer You’ve obviously never watched Dream Team. Buses going on fire, snipers trying to take out the Argentinian superstar on cup final day, chairmen getting murdered. And that all happening to the same team. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted May 16, 2022 Share Posted May 16, 2022 13 minutes ago, sparrow1988 said: You’ve obviously never watched Dream Team. Buses going on fire, snipers trying to take out the Argentinian superstar on cup final day, chairmen getting murdered. And that all happening to the same team. Dont forget match fixing, affairs and munday bandeli! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveAV1 Posted May 16, 2022 Share Posted May 16, 2022 11 hours ago, nick76 said: But the first half of last season, all that half we did so well. That’s all forgotten. Yes I believe our midfield is a major problem but and I mean but they did so well until Xmas that season. Anyway we move forward and need more but there needs to be more fixed than just buying new players will do. I agree that it’s a problem that can’t be fixed just by buying players. I think that SG recognises that there is a cultural problem. At clubs like his former club, Chelsea, Man City etc, they expect to win matches and trophies. Here we have an almost in built limit as to what we can achieve. We expect to be average. I’m sure it’s more complicated than that but either way it needs to be fixed. In some ways JT was a major asset to us in that respect. I’m sure he saw the problem too but wasn’t in a position to fix it and I’m sure it was a contributing factor in why he left. SG is a young and relatively inexperienced manager. To some extent he’s learning on the job. But one thing he will have recognised early is the lack of real belief, call it arrogance in the squad. No problem with NSWE but the squad don’t have the level of belief. Which is a huge reason he wanted Coutinho and why he refers to Ashley Young so frequently. They will bring fine examples as to attitude in training etc for the rest of the squad, particularly the young players but this almost undefinable quality of winning expectations is vital if we want to really move forward. He's been careful in setting reasonably achievable goals, qualify for Europe, but I’m sure both his and NSWE have much less limited ambitions behind closed doors. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condimentalist Posted May 16, 2022 Share Posted May 16, 2022 Yeah, tough season where we lost Grealish and Smith who were at the heart of what made the last few years so special. Results have gone backwards too. Some smart acquisitions in key positions and hopefully we'll start well next season, with homegrown talent again at the fore. If so the positive vibes can come back again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa89 Posted May 16, 2022 Share Posted May 16, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, Demitri_C said: 12th in the league and a boring season? Wow Yea it was a really poor and boring season. Never got into any good run of form, one manager who's time was up and then a new one who persisted with a formation that doesn't suit our squad, or any squad that I know of. Edited May 16, 2022 by villa89 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow1988 Posted May 16, 2022 Share Posted May 16, 2022 46 minutes ago, Demitri_C said: Dont forget match fixing, affairs and munday bandeli! Hadn’t the time to list all the trials and tribulations of that wonderful club. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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