Villa 2 - 4 Saints - Reactions

Not saying anyone cares. Just stating a fact.

Two away games, contrasting results. Scoring 4 away to villa but only scoring 1 away to Everton despite having a similar number of chances is telling IMO. The Everton defence, while not top notch is a big step up from Villa, and they gave use less time on the ball, marked closer, had a better shape etc. and under those conditions our strikers don't seem to finish as well.

Hopefully a fit Austin and Jay Rod can be that extra clinical edge we need. Let's be honest, if were better in front of goal we'd have beaten Villa and Newcastle by a lot more, plus won comfortably at Everton.

I like Long, his movement and work rate is excellent, but his first touch is not good enough (think the poor touch that fortunately fell to Pelle against Newcastle) and his finishing is not clinical enough, for example that first shot that hit the bar, he really should have scored and kept that down more.

Who the f*ck cares??!

 

Ref and the Lino didn't call it. You play to the ref.

 

On this occasion it went in our favour. I'm more worried about the fact that we let in two goals against the poorest side in the PL this season.

I care because had the lino been awake it would have been given offside and another chance wasted, on top of the other goal he had disallowed for offside.

It doesn't matter with regards to yesterday's result but he would be lucky to get away with that a second time.

Just seen that longs goal was offside

 

Ooooh

No it wasn't.

yes it was

I like Long, his movement and work rate is excellent, but his first touch is not good enough (think the poor touch that fortunately fell to Pelle against Newcastle) and his finishing is not clinical enough, for example that first shot that hit the bar, he really should have scored and kept that down more.

That's why he's playing for us and not someone 'bigger'.

Nice to see that, despite him exceeding expectations amid the howls of derision when we bought him, he still gets knocked by the knockers.

Can anyone please tell me the words to the Virgil song?

We've got Van Dijk, Virgil Van Dijk, I just don't think you understand...........

He's super Slav's man, he's better than Zidane

Oh wait that was the original

We have crowbarred in that world renown CB Japp Stam

Well, since I've moved up to Birmingham in 2000, I've yet to witness a good game of football involving Saints against any of the Midlands teams, and that didn't change yesterday. The strangest atmosphere I've ever experienced in a ground seemed to lead to a poor performance from both the team and our fans. Longs finishing is infuriatingly inconsistent, Tadic hung Soares out to dry; you can get away with no defending if you're in the No. 10 position, but when you're playing right wing, you can't. The midfield managed to not track that goal machine Westwood, leading to their two goals.

I was disappointed with our performances against Newcastle and Everton, and that was more of the same, so whilst I'm hoping for much improved levels against Man City and Spurs, I can't say that I'm that hopeflul they will materialise.

 

I was disappointed with our performances against Newcastle and Everton, and that was more of the same, so whilst I'm hoping for much improved levels against Man City and Spurs, I can't say that I'm that hopeflul they will materialise.

Then I must say you have very high and very unrealistic expectations of this team.

Well, since I've moved up to Birmingham in 2000, I've yet to witness a good game of football involving Saints against any of the Midlands teams, and that didn't change yesterday. The strangest atmosphere I've ever experienced in a ground seemed to lead to a poor performance from both the team and our fans. Longs finishing is infuriatingly inconsistent, Tadic hung Soares out to dry; you can get away with no defending if you're in the No. 10 position, but when you're playing right wing, you can't. The midfield managed to not track that goal machine Westwood, leading to their two goals.

 

 

 

 

 

I was disappointed with our performances against Newcastle and Everton, and that was more of the same, so whilst I'm hoping for much improved levels against Man City and Spurs, I can't say that I'm that hopeflul they will materialise.

Blimey winning not enough we have to win playing like Bayern Munich.....

No it wasn't.

He was ahead of the ball and the last defender, how was it not offside?

Can anyone please tell me the words to the Virgil song?

 

We've got Van Dijk, Virgil Van Dijk, I just don't think you understand...........

He's Ronald Koeman's man,

He's better than Jaap Stam...

We've decided to repeat the first line.

his first goals of the season too,( no assists either)

Saw the match on MORE after listening to the radio.

Generally we won a match we should have won any way and made a hard job of it.

Long played well upto the final touch and luckily didn't cost us and luckily again lino was asleep.

Westwood goals were well taken and I blame complacency.

I do feel sorry for Villa they are on a downward spiral that we know so well.

Finally I feel sorry for Jolean Lescott . He cost them a number of goals and received so much hate from the crowd.

I hope it doesn't effect him too much. or his parents, Will Smith and Lieutenant Worf.

It's only offside if the ref gives the decision

It's only offside if the ref gives the decision

Its only ruled out if the officials realise it is offside.

If it is offside then it is offside.

Aguero vs Newcastle was offside. It wasn't given but it was 100% factually offside.

Blimey winning not enough we have to win playing like Bayern Munich.....

Look, I'm more than happy to have an argument (just ask anyone who knows me!), but at least argue based on what I said. I expect us to attempt to play as well as *we* can, especially against teams as poor as that, but we were sloppy and complacent in those three matches. The Everton game, in particular, could be the one that puts paid to our European chances, but all three should have allowed us to improve our goal difference to better than the three teams above us.

Lescott is Villa's whipping boy, that much we know., but Martin Keown did an analysis on MOTD which suggested Lescott's shortcomings yesterday were more the product of a collective failure rather than him routinely performing badly. He is slow though!

Saw the match on MORE after listening to the radio.

Generally we won a match we should have won any way and made a hard job of it.

Long played well upto the final touch and luckily didn't cost us and luckily again lino was asleep.

Westwood goals were well taken and I blame complacency.

I do feel sorry for Villa they are on a downward spiral that we know so well.

 

Finally I feel sorry for Jolean Lescott . He cost them a number of goals and received so much hate from the crowd.

I hope it doesn't effect him too much. or his parents, Roland Gift and Lieutenant Worf.

Is fix

Should have had that curtains by half time.

Gonna put my head on the Block here and say that Forster could have done better on both goals.

I mean when Ashley Westwood, who hasn't scored in an eternity puts 2 past us, I'm sorry but that worries me.

Should have that curtains by half time.

 

Gonna put my head on the Block here and say that Forster could have done better on both goals.

Think Forster was un-sighted for the second one with2-3 defenders in his line of view, so I'll give him the benefit with that one, but the first one was a little too easy.

I mean when Ashley Westwood, who hasn't scored in an eternity puts 2 past us, I'm sorry but that worries me.

That's the sacrifice we make with having Tadic in the team. He creates stuff going forward, but he just doesn't track back and pick up the runners from midfield.

Made hard work of falling off a log. Will need to improve next week, and then again the week after. If we do that, and other results go our way, we still could squeak a Europa spot. If Liverpool win the Europa League, City win the Champions League and United win the FA Cup. I think the season ended at Everton.

At 2-0 up I was still concerned that our tempo and general attitude to the game was allowing Villa to gain some encouragement.

And so it came to pass. Fortunately, in spite of their growing confidence we were still much the better team. Hopefully this perform-

ance can be put down to the unusual atmosphere at the ground as it was a fae from convincing display.

Made hard work of falling off a log. Will need to improve next week, and then again the week after. If we do that, and other results go our way, we still could squeak a Europa spot. If Liverpool win the Europa League, City win the Champions League and United win the FA Cup. I think the season ended at Everton.

It wasn't getting a draw at Everton that hurt our chances of Europe more that horrible period around Christmas when two of our three main goal scorers became unable to hit a barn door at 3 yards. Mane went from October (Liverpool away) to March (Liverpool at home) without scoring a goal in the league which is bloody awful really and Pelles contribution was similar.

My only disappointment from the game is that after the final whistle our players didn't line up for a team photograph on their pitch like Villa did at the Dell in 98

I know i don't post much and could come across as trolling here but i do question how Long is so close to Tadic for MotM, I could have scored a hat-trick with his chances. Fair enough it didn't matter today, but against better opposition it could be the difference between a Win or a Loss. If Long could finish he'd be a 20+ goal per season striker all day long.

Christ it's hard to please some people.

I'm just off to check we did win and score 4 goals away from home.

He's super Slav's man, he's better than Zidane

 

Oh wait that was the original

 

We have crowbarred in that world renown CB Japp Stam

Newcastle had it for Cabaye years ago.

I have never seen so many negative posts/tweets after an away win scoring four goals in the process; would you all rather we won one nil then we would have spent all game crapping ourselves when Villa got near the box?/

 

What a bunch of miserable sods, go support a posy team in League 2 and have a proper moan!

Don't be too surprised, it was all negative when we (only!) beat Newcastle 3-1 the other week !

Fan websites seem to incite critical remarks as the norm these days, positive comments result in 'happy clapper' accusations !

I find it strange and depressing but that is the way it is, I'm afraid !

That's why he's playing for us and not someone 'bigger'.

 

Nice to see that, despite him exceeding expectations amid the howls of derision when we bought him, he still gets knocked by the knockers.

Yeh sorry for wanting a striker to actually take chances and score goals consistently, how rude of me. Especially when they are playing as a lone striker.

The fact that 9 goals this season is the most he's ever managed in one premier league seasons tells you all you need to know.

If we want to improve, we need someone that scores more than 9 goals in a season considering all the chances we create.

It's only offside if the ref gives the decision

Don't be ridiculous.

Yeh sorry for wanting a striker to actually take chances and score goals consistently, how rude of me. Especially when they are playing as a lone striker.

 

The fact that 9 goals this season is the most he's ever managed in one premier league seasons tells you all you need to know.

 

If we want to improve, we need someone that scores more than 9 goals in a season considering all the chances we create.

How'd you work that out?

Don't be too surprised, it was all negative when we (only!) beat Newcastle 3-1 the other week !

Fan websites seem to incite critical remarks as the norm these days, positive comments result in 'happy clapper' accusations !

I find it strange and depressing but that is the way it is, I'm afraid !

I haven't seen anything unreasonable posted on here. To say, "well we won, everything's fine," is sticking your head in the sand to an extent. We let in 2 poor goals and went into stoppage time with just a 1 goal lead against the worst team in the Premier League for 10 years. The only other team they've scored twice against in the last 4 months is Norwich.

We get away with playing like this against sides as poor as Newcastle and Villa but against anyone better we come unstuck, which showed at Goodison.

More of a comment on Villa, there were chances there to score 8 or 9.

 

It's not about that so much as frustration that we've not been clinical enough throughout the season. And while 4-0 would have been a good result, we let probably the worst premier league side ever get back in a game they had no place being in, right up until injury time. That's why we're finishing 8th, so frustration is understandable, given we know the squad is capable of more.

Just think how high we would be if we still had Gaston

Only just seen replays of the 2nd goal.

WTF was that guy doing, trying a pass back to the keeper from near our penalty area!! And deary me what a feeble attempt by Lescott to keep up with Schlong.

Comedy Gold.

Yeh sorry for wanting a striker to actually take chances and score goals consistently, how rude of me. Especially when they are playing as a lone striker.

 

The fact that 9 goals this season is the most he's ever managed in one premier league seasons tells you all you need to know.

 

If we want to improve, we need someone that scores more than 9 goals in a season considering all the chances we create.

9 from 25 games, as opposed to our main striker who has the glorious amount of 10 from 27. Given Long has played many times as a winger/attacking MF rather than an out and out striker, actually getting 9 from 25 is a reasonably decent return. Mane by way of comparison has scored 7 from 34. (all data based on PL goals only). Yes if we need to improve we need a striker who can score more than 10 a season, but replacing Long is not the real answer is it? We need to upgrade #19 (and maybe we have with Austin). I think I'm right in saying that Pelle has played in more games when he hasn't scored that Long (no doubt someone will verify the accuracy of that statement). Of course its not all about their goals, there are other contributions that strikers make, but to have a go at Long really is missing the real point.

Didn't see much of Saturday's match but I'm assuming Tadic is getting a lot of votes in lieu of being able to vote for him in the Everton game when he was comfortably the best player, but for which there was inexplicably no poll.

Didn't see much of Saturday's match but I'm assuming Tadic is getting a lot of votes in lieu of being able to vote for him in the Everton game when he was comfortably the best player, but for which there was inexplicably no poll.

He made Garth Crooks team of the week !

The supreme accolade indeed, mind you he had Jeff Schlupp at LB when he actually played up front for Leicester !

Didn't see much of Saturday's match but I'm assuming Tadic is getting a lot of votes in lieu of being able to vote for him in the Everton game when he was comfortably the best player, but for which there was inexplicably no poll.

He was comfortably our best player against villa as well, which is probably why he's been voted as the best player. Shane long had a good game as well, but tadic was excellent, almost everything we did up front came via him.

Christ it's hard to please some people.

 

I'm just off to check we did win and score 4 goals away from home.

Lol, I know what you mean.

The Villa game was always going to be an odd one. No-one really knew how they were going to perform after relegation was sealed.

It wasn't like us to concede two goals like that, but as Koeman alluded to before the game, there wasn't really anything all that positive to gain from the match (we were expected to win whatever happened). It didn't surprise me one bit to hear about Villa's goals to be perfectly honest.

All we can do now is try our best to win the last three. If we do, that will be 63 points for the season and a Premier League record once again, and possibly Europa League action next year. Two wins and a defeat from the last three and we will have gained 36 points from our last 18 fixtures, which is a very respectable effort.

9 from 25 games......

Realistically, if he was 25 from 9 games he wouldn't cost 10M and wouldn't be playing for us. He does at least get himself into scoring positions, unlike the fat arm-chair critics

He was ahead of the ball and the last defender, how was it not offside?

Because the ref did not call it

Lol, I know what you mean.

 

The Villa game was always going to be an odd one. No-one really knew how they were going to perform after relegation was sealed.

 

It wasn't like us to concede two goals like that, but as Koeman alluded to before the game, there wasn't really anything all that positive to gain from the match (we were expected to win whatever happened). It didn't surprise me one bit to hear about Villa's goals to be perfectly honest.

 

All we can do now is try our best to win the last three. If we do, that will be 63 points for the season and a Premier League record once again, and possibly Europa League action next year. Two wins and a defeat from the last three and we will have gained 36 points from our last 18 fixtures, which is a very respectable effort.

With respect I must disagree. Some of the goals we have conceded this season, and even before that, have been the result of comical defending. Which is even more frustrating given that great run of clean sheets where they kept everything together.

Strange.

Don't be ridiculous.

It was not offside becaus the linesman did not raise his flag hence the referee not awarding

the free kick and not dissalowing the goal....

We dont have tv replays yet?

It was not offside becaus the linesman did not raise his flag hence the referee not awarding

the free kick and not dissalowing the goal....

 

We dont have tv replays yet?

It was offside. Factually offside. It wasn't given as offside but it was offside.

Just like before goalline technology some 100% proven goals were not awarded as a goal.

There are two stages to an offside:

1. It being offside

2. A linesman or referee noticing and awarding it

The first determines whether something is offside or not.

It was offside. Factually offside. It wasn't given as offside but it was offside.

 

Just like before goalline technology some 100% proven goals were not awarded as a goal.

 

There are two stages to an offside:

 

1. It being offside

2. A linesman or referee noticing and awarding it

 

The first determines whether something is offside or not.

Just an observation. The beauty of offside is in the beholder.

Goal line tech for an objective decision.

Off side is subjective

It was offside. Factually offside. It wasn't given as offside but it was offside.

 

Just like before goalline technology some 100% proven goals were not awarded as a goal.

 

There are two stages to an offside:

 

 

 

 

1. It being offside

2. A linesman or referee noticing and awarding it

 

The first determines whether something is offside or not.

So is a batsman in cricket out despite not being given out...no

so unless a player is signalled and the decision indicated as offside he isnt...

The fact that he should have been given offside is correct though but in the context of the game it wasnt, so irelevant and nothing

more than a talking point

its like saying Kevin Friend had gave a perfectly sound performance when officiating Saints v Liverpool last season. We were never robbed as he didnt give us any (blatant) penalties

its like saying Kevin Friend had gave a perfectly sound performance when officiating Saints v Liverpool last season. We were never robbed as he didnt give us any (blatant) penalties

We werent robbed he just got decisons wrong....